Bacon Day
Observed
annually on December 30th (since 1997)
Dates
Founded by
Danya Goodman in 1997
Meff Leonard in 1997
Tags
Food & Drink
Snacks & Desserts
Hashtags
Sources
According to the Bacon Day website, the day was created by Danya Goodman and Meff Leonard. They came up with the day as a way to celebrate bacon and The Simpsons. In The Simpsons episode "I Love Lisa," Homer asks, "Is it Bacon Day?" This is how the creators of the day tied the celebration of two things they love together.
So what's the story of bacon? Bacon is a popular treat cut from the meat of a pig. In the United States, bacon refers to meat from the belly of the pig, known as the pork belly. Bacon from the loin is called Canadian bacon. To make bacon, the pork is cured using salt, and is then dried, boiled, or smoked. The smoking of bacon is often done with hickory, mesquite, or maple wood, and flavors such as brown sugar or maple may be added. More often than not, bacon is pan fried, and it is popular as a breakfast food, in sandwiches like the BLT or club sandwich, as a complement to salads, and in wrapping other foods. "Bacon mania" has swept the United States and Canada since the late 1990's, where there has been a great increase in the amount of bacon being eaten, and in the amount of new bacon recipes. The high sodium and nitrate content of bacon that lower its health benefits has not seemed to much slow down the bacon craze.
How to Observe Bacon Day
The creators of the day suggested the following ways to celebrate:
- Have a party and invite everyone you know, as well as people you don't know.
- Have a "big, non denominational, gift giving December holiday"; get at least one person a gift on the day.
- Eat a large amount of bacon; try different varieties and qualities.
- Watch movies that star Kevin Bacon, movies with "Bacon" in the title, movies about bacon, or movies about preprocessed bacon—such as Babe.
- Play "loud and diverse music" and drink "spirituous beverages".
- Dress up like a pork product.
- Kiss under mistletoe made of pork fat.
- Taunt vegans and vegetarians.
- Toasting to bacon and Bacon Day.
- Email everyone you know and wish them a very happy Bacon Day.
It seems fitting that the day should also be spent watching The Simpsons. The most appropriate episode to watch is probably "I Love Lisa." Prepare some recipes that feature bacon so you have something to eat while watching.