Celebrate International Bacon Day on the Saturday Before Labor Day
It’s the last weekend of summer (unofficially, anyway) and that can only mean one thing. If it’s Saturday, it must be International Bacon Day!
(ok, that’s probably not the first thing that came to your mind. But it is exciting. And delicious).
Graduate students in Bedford, Massachusetts held the first Bacon Day in 2005. Apparently they felt a food as delicious as bacon should have its own day. And of course, so many people like bacon that celebrations of the day spread quickly.
First into Canada. Then into Australia, South Africa, Switzerland, and the UK, according to the International Bacon Day blog. Sadly the blog seems to be abandoned, but you can still read about how the day started and the first few years’ of celebrations.
Now, International Bacon Day is different from the Bacon Day celebrated on December 30 every year. (Not that we’re going to complain about having two days to celebrate bacon!).
A Bite of Bacon Trivia
Bacon is ancient
Humans discovered the delight of bacon thousands of years ago. The Chinese were salting pork bellies as far back as 1500 BC. Of course, salting meat was always a great way to keep it from rotting. So that was most likely the original reason for salted pork. But we’re guessing the taste kept them coming back for more!
Bacon is saintly
Bacon has its very own patron saint, Anthony the Abbot. What do you mean you never knew there was a patron saint of bacon? Ok, neither did we, but apparently St. Anthony was a healer who is also patron saint of butchers, animals (including pigs) and more.
We’re pretty sure the bacon thing is an unofficial title, but it’s still a fun bit of trivia.
Bacon is medicine
Did you know you can cure a hangover with a bacon sandwich? Researchers claim at least part of the reason is the bacon’s protein breaks down into amino acids that your body needs after you’ve had too much alcohol.
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficially crispy, savory holiday.
Ideas For Celebrating International Bacon Day
Like with other food holidays, there’s one overriding idea for this day: Eat Bacon!
And since just about everything is better with bacon, you can eat it for all three meals (and snacks, too!).
If you’re vegetarian or have religious objections to eating pork, you still have options. You can find several vegetarian bacon options, or consider turkey bacon.
You have options for cooking your bacon, too:
- Nuke your bacon (in the microwave)
- Bake your bacon
- Pan fry your bacon
- Grill your bacon
However you make your bacon, here are a few recipes to try with it:
- Bacon Pancakes
- Bacon Egg Salad: Since it’s a salad, no reason to feel guilty about eating it! … Right?
- Scallops with Creamy Bacon Sauce
- BLT for the Modern Man
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Candied bacon
- Bacon Caramels: Sweet caramel and salty bacon. Sounds like heaven!
- Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
Use bacon-flavored condiments:
Get yourself some bacon-flavored snacks:
- Bacon popcorn
- Coconut bacon (bacon-flavored coconut chips)
- Bacon-flavored Ritz crackers
- Bacon flavored lollipop
Wash it all down with bacon drinks:
- Bacon-infused vodka (homemade) … You can also buy bacon vodka (actually Bakon Vodka).
- Maple Bacon Frappe
- Eggs & Bacon Cocktail Recipe
- Bacon Sour
- Bacon ‘n Eggnog Cocktail Recipe
- Or check out this list of Bakon Vodka recipes
And just for fun, make your entire day bacon-themed (and bacon-scented!):
- Bacon soap
- Bacon candles
- Bacon air freshener
- Bacon toothpaste
- Bacon lip balm
- Bacon gift wrap
- Bacon bandages
While you’re marinating in all that bacony goodness, watch some movies with Kevin Bacon:
- Footloose
- Flatliners
- Apollo 13
- Mystic River
- X-Men: First Class
- Crazy, Stupid, Love
- Animal House (yes, he’s in there! But really, it’s more of an excuse to watch Animal House)
- A Few Good Men
And finally, assuming your significant other loves bacon as much as you do (and if not, why are you with him/her?), treat yourselves to some bacon lube. Yes. Bacon-flavored lube. That is all.
So … How much bacon will you be stuffing into your International Bacon Day?
