Where How and Why to Celebrate #NationalBagelDay

National Bagel Day is a holiday which pays homage to the dense and chewy bread product that can be traced back all the way to the 1600’s!  But today, bagels are enjoyed in mass quantities all across the country in a variety of different ways and topped with a number of different ingredients, like: cream cheese, goat cheese, avocado, peanut butter and bananas, deli meat, jelly, butter, hummus, salmon, pastrami or marshmallow fluff.  The list goes on and on. So go out there, grab your favorite bagels and top them however you want for this great foodie holiday.

Some Bagel History

The modern bagel is believed to have been a direct descendant of a ringed Polish bread product known as obwarzanek (say that five times fast) – food that was invented during the late 14th century. While it’s not known exactly when the bagel was first created, there are records going back to the 17th century when it was given out as gifts to women who had just gone through childbirth in Krakow, Poland. It was around this time that it became a big part of the Slavic diet from the 1600s on. During the 19th century, Eastern European immigrants brought bagels with them when they emigrated to the United States. However, up until the 1960s and the 1970s, bagels weren’t a mainstream food in America – they were pretty much made and sold for the niche Jewish market.

But that all changed during the 1970s and 1980s, when bagels began to become popular in the mainstream. This is partly due to the increased popularity of “ethnic foods” and is also when Lenders Bagels began marketing their frozen bagels using entertaining television commercials. In 1984, Kraft bought out Lender’s Bagels and began aggressively marketing bagels in the United States. From the 1980s through the 1990s, bagels would become a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S., possibly culminating with the rapid rise of the bagel franchises that popped up in almost every mini mall known to man. Still today, bagels are enjoying all-time popularity in the United States.

Unfortunately, no one really knows who invented National Bagel Day. All that’s really known is that it was started sometime during the 2000s. While National Bagel Day used to overlap with National Pizza Day on February 9, Thomas’ Bagels registered to make the switch this year so bagels could have a day all of their own.

Bagel Fun Facts

• Bagels are always round
• Bagels are also known as beigels
• Bagels are boiled before they are baked
• The most popular bagel flavor is plain
• The second most popular bagel flavor is sesame
• The name bagel comes from the German word “bougel,” a name which means bracelet

How and Where to Celebrate Bagels

If you’re looking for a reason to enjoy a nice bagel with your favorite topping, then this day might just be a blessing for you. Go out there and purchase your favorite bagels and have yourself a good time. If you’re on social media, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalBagelDay when posting all of your awesome bagel pics!   Don’t know where to score some bagel bites this week?  Here are some bagel bakers who have deals in store for you:

Bruegger’s Bagels

Head to Bruegger’s on January 15 for a free bagel with cream cheese when you make any purchase. As an added bonus, if you’re a member of the “Inner Circle” rewards program, you can also check in at the store for the chance to win free bagels and cream cheese for an entire year.

Einstein Bros. Bagels

The bagel chain, which has locations in 43 states (plus Washington D.C.), will give customers a free bagel and shmear with their purchase on Wednesday. The deal is not available in hospitals, colleges, hotels, airports, and military bases, according to the website.

Manhattan Bagel

At Manhattan Bagel, you can get a free bagel and cream cheese for 99 cents with purchase on National Bagel Day. Note that the deal is limited to two bagels per customer, and there’s also an additional charge for “gourmet bagels”—bialys, French toast, plain, and super cinnamon, per the menu.

Noah’s NY Bagels

Noah’s, a California-based bagel chain, will give you a free bagel and shmear on January 15 with purchase.

Thomas’ Bagels

Thomas’—the English muffin and bagel brand you see everywhere at supermarkets—will bring free bagel pop-ups to five cities across the U.S. on January 15. Between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., people can get free bagels at the following locations: Union Station in Chicago, Larimer Square in Denver, Union Station in Los Angeles, 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, and Lynx Central Station in Orlando. One free bagel in every city will have an orange ticket in it, redeemable for a free smart watch—there will also be one golden ticket left randomly in one of the cities with a $2,500 voucher for groceries.

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