National Devil Dog Day

Today we celebrate Devil Dogs, treats that consist of two layers of devil's food cake with cream sandwiched between them. Drake Bakeries, now known as Drake's Cakes, began making Devil Dogs in 1926. National Devil Dog Day was started by Sean Alexander Sobel, who as a child ate Devils Dogs with his grandfather, Howard Leslie Sobel, and wanted to share the history of the snack. In 2017, the same year Sobel created the day, Drake's introduced Fudge Dipped Devil Dogs. The holiday began being celebrated the following year.

The term "Devil Dogs" dates to 1917 or 1918—it is believed the name was coined by Germans to describe American soldiers during World War I and alluded to their tenacity. The term was picked up on the homefront: the German word for it, Teufel Hunden was used on Marines recruiting posters in 1918, and newspaper stories also mentioned the phrase that year. The name became firmly associated with the Marines at that time but began being used for the snack eight years later.

How to Observe National Devil Dog Day

Celebrate the day by eating Devil Dogs! While doing so so, you could learn a little bit about the history of Drake's Cakes, the company that makes Devil Dogs. You could also spend the day learning more about the Marines. Perhaps it would be most fitting to learn about their time in World War I, when they were given the name Devils Dogs. Books such as Through the Wheat: The U.S. Marines in World War I or The Devil Dogs at Belleau Wood: U.S. Marines in World War I may be appropriate.

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