• Sandwich Culture
• Sandwich Holidays

Recently, we have been seeing a lot of articles about Sandwich Holidays from around the world, whether it's National Hamburger Day, British Sandwich Week, or even the upcoming National Sandwich Month.  Who would ever think that Holidays about Sandwiches would be so popular?

With so many edible celebrations to keep track of, we decided to create a comprehensive list of all the Sandwich Holidays from around the World.  We will continually update this list as new holidays come to our attention.

List of Sandwich Holidays from Around the World (2021)

As you can see, one or two of the holidays about sandwiches were created tongue-in-cheek, yet they were embraced and ended up gaining a life of their own.  For example, National Cuban Sandwich Day was created by a newspaper writer from Tampa Bay in 2016 as a joke for readers.  However, over time, the internet embraced the story, and now it's become an actual celebrated holiday.

Some of the Holiday dates are not set, and may be dependent on other factors.  In order to make it more clear, we've created a second table showing how the dates are determined.

Annual Sandwich Holiday Dates from Around the World (Every Year)




Glossary of the Various Sandwich Holidays

National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day

Celebrated on January 14th.  Primarily, this holiday is celebrated by restaurants the world over, which in turn offer special promotions for Hot Pastrami Sandwiches. The origins of the holiday are unknown.

National Reuben Sandwich Day

Celebrated on March 14th.  In 2013, the city of Omaha, considered to be the birthplace of the Reuben Sandwich, declared March 14th as National Reuben Sandwich Day.  According to legend, Reuben Kulakofsky (1873-1960), a Jewish Lituanian-born wholesale grocer, created the sandwich for his weekly poker game in the late 1920s.  It's actually a very entertaining back-story, and we are intrigued that the city of Omaha legally declared this an official holiday.

National Sloppy Joe Day

Celebrated every March 18th.  Once again, it is mainly recognized by publications on a slow news day and restaurants with special promotions.  The origins of the holiday are unknown.

National Burrito Day

Celebrated on the 1st Thursday of every April.  Since New York City is the only city to legally recognize a Burrito as a sandwich, this was added to our Sandwich Holiday list specifically for them.

According to the NY State Department of Taxation and Finance, hot dogs and burritos are both considered sandwiches. The latter food item falls in the sandwich bucket because the tortilla makes it a “wrap,” and the NY state government believes that wraps are sandwiches.  Hence, for this fact alone, we believe this holiday is worthy of being recognized the world over.  The origin of this holiday is unknown.

National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

Celebrated on April 12th.  Another Holiday topic for sites on a slow News day, and used by restaurants with Grilled Cheese Promotions.  We were hoping to find a Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day parade somewhere, however, it seems to be a holiday in name only.  The origins of the holiday are unknown.

National Hamburger Month

Celebrated during the month of May.  In terms of celebrations, National Hamburger Month seems to be another restaurant promotional tool, which was created by White Castle in 1993.  This actually makes sense because they say May is the busiest grilling and barbecuing month of the year, so people have hamburgers on their mind. 

On a side note, it's been said the ancient Egyptions ate ground meat several thousand years ago, however, the current hamburger as we know it came from either Germany or America a hundred years ago.  Also, the world's largest hamburger parade is in Seymour, Wisconsin, every year in August (see more below).  Getting back to the topic at hand, National Hamburger Month seems to be another way for restaurants to offer special Hamburger deals and promotions every May.  We prefer National "Hamburger Charlie" Day ourselves, since it celebrates the actual birth of the hamburger.

National Hoagie Day

Celebrated on May 5th.  Once again, it seems like a holiday for restaurant promotions.  It's even more confusing because "National Eat A Hoagie Day" is on September 14th.  So, it appears that there are two different holidays for the same sandwich.  The origins of the holiday are unknown.

British Sandwich Week

Celebrated during the 3rd week of May.  It was created by The British Sandwich & Food to Go Association.  According to their web site, members range from supermarkets and food to go manufacturers to sandwich bars, cafes and the suppliers of ingredients and equipment for the industry. In addition to representing the interests of its members to Government, the Association also sets industry standards and organises events such as British Sandwich Week and the annual British Sandwich & Food To Go Industry Awards, also known as the ‘Sammies’.

National Hamburger Day

Celebrated every year on May 28th.  Once again, it appears to be another way for restaurants to offer special promotions and discounts for hamburgers.  The origin of the holiday is unknown.

National Hot Dog Month

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) designates July as National Hot Dog Month.  There are many promotions for hot dog give-aways and two for one specials that month.

National Hot Dog Day

Celebrated on July 21st.  Another great day for hot dog sales, promotions, and give-aways.  The origin of the holiday is unknown.

National Sandwich Month

The Month of August is considered National Sandwich Month.  The Wheat Flour Institute established August as National Sandwich Month in 1952.

National Panini Month

August is also considered National Panini Month.  Sargento Foods, Inc. founded National Panini Month in 2008.

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

Celebrated every August 2nd.  This is a promotional holiday that we would enjoy.  The origin of the holiday is unknown.

"Hamburger Charlie" Day

Always celebrated the 2nd weekend of August.  In 1885, Charlie Nagreen created 1st hamburger at the Seymour Fair in Seymour, Wisconsin.  They have a parade, hamburger stands, and number of various activities.  In fact, the State of Wisconsin assembly, with the senate concurring, declared Seymour, Wisconsin, the Original Home of the Hamburger.  That's as official a Hamburger Holiday as you can get.

National Cuban Sandwich Day

Celebrated on August 23rd.  The event was actually launched in 2016 as a joke by Christopher Spata of the Tampa Bay Times, who wanted to see how many news agencies would run with the story of a fictional food celebration.  It also follows the Cuban Sandwich Festival, which is held during a random month every year.

National Gyro Day

The holiday is celebrated on September 1st of every year.  Even the Greeks have a promotional holiday for their famous creation.  According to Wikipedia, by the 1970s, gyros wrapped sandwiches were already a popular fast food in Athens, as well as in Chicago and New York City.  At that time, although vertical rotisseries were starting to be mass-produced in the US by Gyros Inc. of Chicago, the stacks of meat were still hand-made.  While our favorite is the Chicago-style gyro that was a staple of Greektown since the 70s, we love just about any gyro known to man.  The origins of the holiday are unknown.

National Eat A Hoagie Day

Celebrated on September 14th.  Once again, it seems to be another promotional holiday used by Submarine shops to bring in customers.  The origin of the holiday is unknown.

National Double Cheeseburger Day

It takes place every September 15th.  While we believe that a double cheeseburger can be even more satisfying that a single cheeseburger, we are not sure why there's a seperate holiday for it, other than to promote some restaurant special.  The origin of the holiday is unknown.

National Monte Cristo Day

Celebrated every September 17th.  Bennigan’s founded National Monte Cristo Day in June of 2015 to promote one of their most popular sandwiches.

National Cheeseburger Day

This festive day is celebrated on September 18th.  Another great promotional tool for all the fast food joints in the world, ranging from two-for-one specials to a free cheeseburger with every meal.  The origins of the holiday are unknown.

German Sandwich Day

This is celebrated the last Friday of September.  German Agricultural Industries (DLG) created this holiday in 1999.  There seems to be some confusion about this holiday.  Some write that this is actually German Butterbrod Day, while others say that German Sandwich Day.   However, for the purposes of our site, we are following the latter.

National Submarine-Hoagy-Hero-Grinder Day

Takes place every year on October 9th.  It appears to be another Submarine Shop promotional holiday.  The origins of this holiday are unknown.

National Kraut Sandwich Week

Celebrated during the 3rd week of October.  This is a very intriguing holiday, since it is timed to coincide with October Fests around the country.  The National Kraut Packers Association founded the holiday in 1980.

National Sandwich Day

The best holiday of the year!  Every November 3rd, we celebrate National Sandwich Day.  Coined after the creator of the Sandwich, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, we celebrate National Sandwich Day on his Birthday (11/3/1718).  If there was ever a reason to celebrate a National Holiday, this would be it.

National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day

The holiday happens every November 9th.  It appears to be another advertising tool which promotes coupon offers and restaurant specials.  The origins of this holiday are unknown.

• Sandwich Culture
• USA

Through today's modern lense, the idea of naming a town "Sandwich" may seem absurd.  However, the Sandwich name itself stretches back over 1,000 years.  In fact, they can trace it back to England as far as 851 A.D., when Sandwich, Kent was referred to as "Sondwic".^*

As for the edible sandwich, we can trace its roots to 1762, when John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, was playing all night at the card table.  He didn't want to leave his seat, so he asked his cook to bring something simple to eat.  His cook's ingenius creation, two pieces of bread with meat in the middle, proved to be so popular, they named it after the Earl of Sandwich.  However, where did the Earl get his name?  From the Town of Sandwich, Kent, of course.  So, it was the edible sandwich named after the town, not the other way around.

So, in honor of all the Sandwich Towns around the world, we have created our list of Top 5 Towns Named Sandwich (in no particular order).

Top 5 Towns Named Sandwich

Sandwich (Illinois, USA)

Sandwich is a city located an hour west of Chicago, split between DeKalb and Kendall counties, and was founded in 1859.  After being successful in his efforts to get a railroad stop created in the area, "Long John" Wentworth was given the honor of naming the new town.  He named after his hometown of Sandwich, New Hampshire.  One of the notable things about Sandwich, Illinois is its annual Sandwich County Fair, which is held the week after Labor Day (from Wednesday to Sunday).

Sandwich (Massachusetts, USA)

Sandwich, the oldest town on Cape Cod, was incorporated in Massachusetts in 1639, along the east coast of the United States.  It was named after Sandwich, Kent in England.  Sandwich, MA is also the Cape Cod Bay entrance to the Cape Cod Canal, which was built through the town in 1909.  There is a lot of early American history in Sandwich, and many historical landmarks to visit there.

Sandwich (New Hampshire, USA)

Sandwich, which includes the villages of Center Sanwich and North Sandwich, was chartered in 1963 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth,  and was named in honor of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (also considered to be the inventor of the sandwich).  With a population of around 1,300 people, and every fall they host the Sandwich Fair, which started in 1909.  To the west is the Squam Mountains, they have the Sandwich Range in the North, and Sandwich Mountain (aka Sandwich Dome) is the highest point in town.  Also, Squam Lake is in the southwestern corner, which was the location of the movie "On Golden Pond".

Old Sandwich Towne (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)

Olde Sandwich Towne (Old Sandwich Town) is situated on the US-Canadian border of the Detroit River, and was established in 1797.  It has a very fascinating and complicated history.  In 1858, Sandwich was formally recognized as an offical town.  However, in 1935 Olde Sandwich Towne was combined with East Windsor, Windsor, and Walkerville to create the city of Windsor, Ontario.  As of today, it is considered to be a neighborhood of the city of Windsor.

Sandwich (Kent, England)

Sandwich (Sondwic, Sandwic, Sandwice), which traces its orgins back over 1,000 years, is located in the Dover District of Ket, south-east England.  It is part of The Confederation of Cinque Ports, which means five ports, and consists of Hastings, New Romney (Rye), Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich.  It is home to Sandwich Bay, which borders two world-class golf courses, The Royal St. George and Prince's Golf Clubs.  John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, derived part of his title from the town's name.  Every year, they have an annual festival period towards the end of August, which include european markets, various parades, and even concerts.

So, as you can see, the noble history of the name Sandwich goes far beyond the reaches of an edible treat.  Maybe someday, historians will find more evidence of where the name truly originated.  Until then, we can visit these glorious towns and all the history and culture they have to offer.


^* Note:  All References are listed in the chart above.

• Taiwan
• Sandwich Culture

It's not uncommon to see Sandwich Stands in the work districts of Taipei.  Somtimes they are mobile, and integrated into motorbikes or small trucks.  Other times, they are home-made vendor carts on wheels.

(work in progress...)

• Sandwich Culture
• Sandwich Science

Sandwiches have influenced everything from Art to Music, but who would have imagined it also impacted Math.  One of the most popular theorems actually involves the equal cutting of a Ham Sandwich!

The Theorem

Basically, the Ham-Sandwich Theorem states that given globs of ham, bread, and cheese (in any shape), placed any way you like, there exists one flat slice of a knife (a plane) that will bisect each of the ham, bread, and cheese.⁴ 

Below is the technical description of the Ham-Sandwich Theorem.

In mathematical measure theory, for every positive integer n the ham sandwich theorem states that given n measurable "objects" in n-dimensional Euclidean space, it is possible to divide all of them in half (with respect to their measure, e.g. volume) with a single (n − 1)-dimensional hyperplane.  The ham sandwich theorem takes its name from the case when n = 3 and the three objects to be bisected are the ingredients of a ham sandwich.⁵ 

Here is a more generic explanation and quote from the SolidWorks website:

"With the weather finally improving after a barrage of Nor’easter storms, it’s time to break out those picnic baskets and have some sandwiches! But what if you want to share a sandwich with someone? Cutting a sandwich may sound like the most mundane task, but only if the sandwich was made neatly. What if the sandwich was jumbled around as you carried it in your basket? The parts slide against each other, making it difficult to ensure a cut that gives each person equal parts of each ingredient. But as I will show you, it is not impossible!"

"The question that follows: Does a cut that divides a sandwich into two equal parts exist? The funny thing is, it depends on the number of ingredients the sandwich has. For sandwiches that have four or more parts that cut could exist, but it is not guaranteed to exist, as most people would expect. But for a sandwich with three parts, that solution is guaranteed to exist. Even if your ingredients are lopsided and you are the worst sandwich maker in the world, you can still cut your terrible sandwich perfectly in half." ³  

Here is video describing the Ham-Sandwich Theorem in more detail.  It is Episode 29 of Algebraic Topology from Roman Sauer.  He actually makes a sandwich to explain it better.



References
1.  Wolfram (https://mathworld.wolfram.com/HamSandwichTheorem.html)
2.  Courant, R. and Robbins, H. What Is Mathematics?: An Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methods. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1978.
3.  The Ham Sandwich Theorem in SOLIDWORKS (https://www.design-point.com/resource/blog/ham-sandwich-theorem-solidworks/)
4.  Math Fun Facts (https://math.hmc.edu/funfacts/ham-sandwich-theorem/)
5.  Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_sandwich_theorem)

• Sandwich Culture
• Sandwich Entertainment

The Broodwich has a cult following the rivals no other.  It initially became known from the TV Show Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and later became famous as a popular meme.  You've probably seen it before, but never realized its celebrity status. 







(Work in Progress...)

References
1.  Fandom.com - https://aqua-teen-hunger-force.fandom.com/wiki/The_Broodwich
2.  Fandom.com - https://adultswim.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_210:_Broodwich