It is National Doughnut Day! Doughnut Day celebrates this wonderful treat, it’s history and a special holiday brought into being to honor a special group that arose during World War I.
(from www.daysoftheyear.com)
History of the Donut
The history of the donut isn’t clearly known, but what is known is that their iconic look started making an appearance in the United States in the mid-1800’s. Rumor has it a gentleman by the name of Hanson Gregory invented them, out of a distaste for the undercooked centers and greasiness of the existing shapes and options. The shape was said to be obtained by punching a hole in the center with a tin pepper box.
There are many varieties of donuts outside of that most commonly known, including twist donuts, fritters, and the hugely varied and popular filled donut. Filled donuts come in a huge variety, including the very popular Devil Dog, a chocolate covered delight filled with a rich cream. Glazed donuts filled with all sorts of delicious fruit, with raspberry being a runaway favorite throughout the world, and lemon filling being an equally popular.
History of Doughnut Day
Doughnut Day came to pass, in part, due to the efforts of a doctor in the military in the first World War who sought to brighten the day of the wounded soldiers he worked on. On his first day to the Military Base, he purchased 8 dozen doughnuts and gave one to each soldier he worked on. After giving one to Lieutenant General Samuel Geary, who received it with great mirth and appreciation for the doctors work, Samuel decided to start a fundraiser, letting the young doctor, Morgan Pett, to continue to provide doughnuts to his patients.
This fundraiser began working together with the Salvation Army who, after a fact-finding mission, determined that many needs of the soldiers could be met by creating social centers that would provide all sorts of amenities, including the doughnuts. The Salvation Army sent 250 volunteers to France to help put these huts together, which soon became a mainstay of military life. One record of a day in the huts recorded up to 300 donuts and 700 cups of coffee being served as part of their service. Due to the majority of the workers being female, the Salvation Army workers started to be known as “Doughnut Dollies.”
These huts went a long way to improving the overall life of the soldiers during the war and has become a tradition that the Salvation Army continues to this day as a fundraiser for this wonderful organization. A great way to celebrate Donut Day is to volunteer to help this amazing organization on the day they’ve held for years in support of our armed forces. Just a few hours of your time or a donation towards their organization will ensure they continue to be able to do their good work the world round!
In honor of Doughnut Day, the WNZR Staff shared their favorite doughnut flavors for The Morning Thing Fave 5.
James Hubbard
Lilly Buckley
Rachel Rinehart
Eddie Dilts
Marcy Rinehart
Rise and Shine 