The *real* origin story of National DONUT, er, Donut Day

It’s September 1917 in the trenches of eastern France. Four female Salvation Army volunteers realize their usual entertainment for the soldiers fighting in WWI – religious services, music, and hot cocoa – isn’t really cutting it anymore. Then, one of them had an idea – what if we could remind the men of home with…donuts.

The “Donut Lassies,” as they were later called, used shell casings and wine bottles as rolling pins. They fried the donuts in a soldier’s helmet filled with lard. After one day of work, they had made about 150 donuts – but soon, they were up to 2,000-9,000 per day. And that was just one of the 42 or so “lassie” outposts scattered across the frontlines.

• The freshly-made treats boosted soldiers’ morale, with one saying, “Looking through the doughnut hole gives me visions of mom back home.”
• And bring home they did – the Donut Lassies are credited in part with popularizing the donut’s rise in US popularity after the war.

🍩🙏 Bottom line: In 1938, the Salvation Army announced an annual National Donut Day to remember and honor the Donut Lassies. According to WWI historian Lora Vogt, the holiday’s focus is less about the donuts, and more on the impact one can make by volunteering within the community. (But we double checked and you can definitely still eat donuts. Phew.)