It's National Donut Day: The origins of the pastry and the best places to get deals

Morgan Whitaker
Updated
First Friday Of June Is National Donut Day
First Friday Of June Is National Donut Day


Dough-not forget to mark your calendars, because the first Friday of June is National Donut Day. The donut is a quintessential American breakfast pastry, and it's supposedly as old as America itself. No surprise it has its own holiday.While the exact origin of the donut is debatable, early records show the first donut was brought to New York City in the late 1600s by the Dutch back when Manhattan was still called New Amsterdam. The pastry was known by the delicious name... "oily cake." Originally it was just balls of dough fried in pork fat, and the center was generally gooey and undercooked.

As the story goes, the modern donut got it's shape when in 1847 American ship captain Hansen Gregory punched a hole in the center of the dough ball to increase surface area and insure an evenly cooked ball of dough. He sometimes added hazelnuts and walnuts into the dough -- hence the literal name "doughnut."

The donut really came into its own during the First World War. Female Salvation Army volunteers, known as "Donut Dollies," brought American Doughboys fighting in France donuts in an attempt to make them feel more at home. (The nickname "doughboy" has nothing to do with "doughnuts." Just a sweet coincidence.) When the doughboys came home, they craved donuts -- and a craze was born.

In 1920, a Russian immigrant named Adolph Levitt made the first automated donut-making machine -- which turned the donut-making process into something of a spectacle. The machine was featured in the 1934 Chicago World's Fair, who advertised the donut as "the food hit of the Century of Progress."

By 1938, The Salvation Army created Donut Day to honor the men and women who served donuts to soldiers during the Great War.

Today, National Donut Day is celebrated by most major donut makers who have special deals where they give out complimentary pastries -- because eating a donut is really the best way to celebrate National Donut Day.

Here are some of the best deals out there, as collected by National Day Calendar:

  • Dunkin' Donuts – Free donut* of your choice (while supplies last) with the purchase of any beverage.

  • Krispy Kreme – One free donut, no purchase necessary.

  • Tim Horton's – Free chocolate hazelnut donut filled with Nutella with purchase of any hot beverage. Click here to download coupon.

  • LaMar's Donuts – One free any type of donut that has a hole.

  • Shipley Do-Nuts – One free glazed donut from 5 a.m. to noon at participating locations.

  • Fractured Prune Doughnuts – One free honey glazed cinnamon sugar OC Sand Doughnut at participating locations.

  • Cumberland Farms – One free donut from 5 a.m. – 10 a.m. with purchase of any hot or iced coffee or Chill Zone beverage.

  • Bennett's Fresh Roast in Florida – One free donut per customer with a purchase of any size coffee.

  • Rise 'N Roll Bakery – Free Cinnamon Caramel Donut to the first 300 customers at each location. No purchase necessary.

  • Winn Dixie – One free donut hole per customer.

  • Doughnut Planet – One free mini cake donut with your order.

  • Honey Dew Donuts – One free mocha madness donut with purchase of any medium drink at participating locations.

  • Jiffy Lube – Free tire air pressure checks to help you avoid using a spare or "donut" tire plus free donut at participating locations.

  • Koch's Bakery – 6 glazed donuts free with a purchase of a dozen donuts.

  • Tasty Daylight Donuts – One free donut to the first 500 customers plus $3 off a dozen donuts.

  • Amazing Glazed – One free glazed donut from 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. No purchase required.

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