It’s National Hot Dog Day!

The hot dog is a food that conjures up magical summer days at the ballpark or at an amusement park. There is nothing quite like the firm snap of its casing, it’s delicious meaty smell or its savory taste. And this is especially true in the United States where it is one of the most iconic American foods ever – right up there with apple pie and the cheeseburger! This food is also celebrated with its own holiday. A holiday which is known as National Hot Dog Day and is celebrated annually in July during National Hot Dog Month, as set by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. So cook up your hot dogs in your favorite manner and celebrate this holiday right.

National Hot Dog day was created by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council to highlight the humble hot dog during National Hot Dog Month. Which is why they set the date for it every year.  In 2019, it’s being celebrated on July 17th.

While it’s unclear exactly when the hot dog was invented, many people attribute it to sausages developed during the 13th century in Germany. These sausages were then most likely brought by German immigrants immigrating into the U.S during the 19th century. It is believed that as early as the 1860s, street food vendors were selling hot dogs in buns in New York City. Hot dogs were also sold by a street vendor in St. Louis, Missouri named Antonoine Feuchtwanger.

In 1893, the owner of the St. Louis Browns (now the St. Louis Cardinals) Chris Von de Ahe brought baseball and hot dogs together when he started selling them during games and also at the amusement park he owned. That same year, hot dogs were introduced at the Colombian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. They became an instant hit.

Many people believe that the term “hot dog” began appearing towards the end of the 19th century. During this time, German immigrants not only brought sausages to America but they also brought dachshund dogs, so the term hot dog may just be a joke about German’s thin dogs that got casually transferred to the sausages. This was probably reinforced by the fact that many Germans called these dogs “little sausages.”

Today, there are a variety of ways to serve the hot dog – with many regional variances in the United States. Some of the more popular hot dogs include the New York Dog, the Chicago Dog, the Fenway Frank, the Coney Dog, the Rockie Dog, the Sonoran Dog, Michigan Coney Island Dog, Texas Dog, the Philadelphia Dog, Cleveland Polish Boy, Alaskan Reindeer hot dog, Seattle Cream Cheese Dog, Cincinnati Coney and the West Virginia Dog, among others.

And Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in Coney Island hosts their famous annual hot dog eating contest on July 4th serving up their iconic dogs for mass consumption.  This year defending champion Joey Chestnut once again ate up the competition by wolfing down 71 hot dogs. While we’re certainly not saying you need to consume that many, definitely eat up and enjoy National Hot Dog Day.

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Photo Credit: a katz / Shutterstock.com