National Spaghetti Day - How It Came to Be Ep4

National Spaghetti Day - How it Came to Be: January 4th, Ep4

Welcome to episode 4 of the Weird, Wacky, and Traditional Holiday
Show: How They Came to Be”.

I’m your host, Stephen Carter. With each daily episode, we identify
at least one of the official or unofficial holidays celebrated that
day and explore how that day came to be. 

Today’s featured holiday is, well, I gave it away already, National
Spaghetti Day!

Here are a few fun facts about pasta in general and my favorite
food in particular.

•There’s evidence that food similar to pasta noodles was eaten in
China starting about 5,000 B.C.

•The first written record of what we now call pasta appeared in the
Jewish Talmud in the 5th Century A.D.

•There is evidence a form of pasta similar to today’s spaghetti
appeared in Sicily in the 12 Century A.D.

•Contrary to popular history, Marco Pollo did not introduce pasta
to Europeans.

•Thomas Jefferson brought pasta back to the United States when he
returned from Naples, Italy in 1789.

•Spaghetti became popular in the United States when Italians began
immigrating in large numbers in the late 19th Century.

•According to the International Pasta Organization, the annual per
capita consumption of pasta in the U.S. is close to 20 lbs. Annual
per capita consumption in Italy, is a whopping 57 lbs.

I can tell you, I’m doing my best to raise that number in the
United States!

When Was National Spaghetti Day Born?

When was National Spaghetti day born? Alas, despite diligent
research by many people, we don’t know. We do know there is no
Presidential or Congressional declaration.

There is also another day pasta lovers should know about. October
17, is National Pasta Day. Unfortunately, the origins of that
holiday are also lost in the historical mist. Again, there’s no
Presidential or Congressional proclamation about National Pasta
Day.

Proclamations or not, I for one am happy to celebrate both days by
enjoying a heaping helping of spaghetti on January 4th, on October
17th, and on as many other days as possible.

If you decide to cook up a spaghetti meal or you simply want to
share your love of this delicious pasta on Twitter, use the hash
tag  #NationalSpaghettiDay.

Speaking of gustatory delights, join us tomorrow, January 5th to
learn about National Whipped Cream Day!

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Wacky Holidays Show” on Apple Podcasts or through your podcast
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