International Hawaiian Pizza Day

One of the world's most polarizing pizzas, if not the most polarizing pizza, Hawaiian pizza, is celebrated today with International Hawaiian Pizza Day. Most people either love or hate it, with opinions on whether pineapple should be on pizza being held strongly. It seems to reason, then, that International Hawaiian Pizza Day is celebrated with gusto by some, and ignored altogether by others.

Ironically, Hawaiian pizza was created in Canada, not Hawaii. Sotirios "Sam" Panopoulos opened Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, with his brothers Nikitas and Elias in 1962. Three factors may have led Panopoulos to create the pizza. First, since the brothers were just getting started, they experimented a lot with different foods. Second, they offered some dishes of Canadian Chinese cuisine, which blended sweet and savory flavors—something that Hawaiian pizza would provide. Third, the mid-century tiki craze was still underway, when Polynesian-inspired food, cocktails, and decor permeated North American culture.

Panopoulos experimented by putting canned pineapple on pizza along with ham. He named the pizza after the brand of pineapples he used. Today, Hawaiian pizza is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pineapple, and either ham or bacon. Naturally, Canadian bacon is often used. Satellite Restaurant is still in operation, and refers to itself as "Home of the Hawaiian Pizza." Panopoulos died in 2017. International Hawaiian Pizza Day has been celebrated on August 20 each year since 2020, being observed on the anniversary of Paopoulous's birth.

How to Observe International Hawaiian Pizza Day

Enjoy Hawaiian pizza! Make your own, have it delivered, or eat it at a pizzeria. If you are able, have it at Satellite Restaurant, where it got its start. Check to see if the pizzeria you go to is offering a special on the pizza in honor of the day. Make sure to post a picture of your pizza on social media!

Exclusive Content

Enjoying Checkiday? It takes a lot of support from fans like you to run a free website. For exclusive content and other perks, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Thank you!

Sponsor

This event does not currently have a sponsor. If you'd like to increase visibility for this event while gaining exposure for yourself or your brand, you can learn more here.

Something Wrong or Missing?

We would love to hear from you! Please contact us using this form.

Observation Notifications

Would you like to be notified before the next observation? Add this event directly to your calendar with this link. You may also sign up here to be told when other notifications are available!