Girl with doughnuts and trophy, Digital ID 1673079, New York Public LibraryThe first Friday in June is National Doughnut Day.

Usually I am skeptical of nonsensical food holidays. Did the cinnamon-sugar lobby come up with this? The lard council?

Still, National Doughnut Day grabbed my attention. So I checked Chase's Calendar and the sources cited in the Wikipedia article.

It's time to CELEBRATE!

The first Doughnut Day was in 1938, organized by the Salvation Army in Chicago to raise funds during the Great Depression, in remembrance of the women who served doughnuts to soldiers on the front lines of World War I.

Access these articles and more through ProQuest Historical Database, available at all library locations:

• "A new kind of war munitions furnished by the Salvation Army." "Pies and Doughnuts." Outlook, Jun 05, 1918.
• "Salvation Army Hut Makes a Hit With Fighting Men in France." "Doughnuts at the Sally." Boston Daily Globe, May 19, 1918.
• Doughnuts figured prominently in stateside fundraising for the Salvation Army during the war. "Girls Fox Trot on Loop Street Corners at a Dollar a Trot to Swell the Salvation Army Fund. There Was General Regret When an Order Was Issued Placing a Ban on This Activity." "Dancing for Doughnuts." Chicago Daily Tribune, Aug 16, 1918.

This recipe makes 400 large/500 small doughnutsEnsign Margaret Sheldon (later Mrs. Margaret Stufflebeam) started the tradition within the American Expeditionary Force stationed in France. "The Doughnut Queen" thought it would be "an interesting change from pies, cocoa and fudge." Despite not having the best cooking utensils on hand, she improvised with cans and bottles, making thousands of doughnuts for the men on the front. "Diary Recalls Start of A.E.F. Doughnuts." New York Times, Jan 31, 1961.

A discussion of "sopping" vs. "dunking" and speculation on the anthropological origins of fried cakes. "Glory of Doughnut Revived at a Party." New York Times, May 14, 1936.

Brigadier Helen Purviance found it a great privilege to serve, but sadly, "[came] to associate doughnut frying with the 'horrors of war.'" "Salvation Army Officer Cooks Doughnuts, as She did in the War, for Fund Drive here." New York Times, Apr 20, 1938.

Girl with head in giant doughnut, Digital ID 1668371, New York Public LibraryBrowse our new Digital Collections site for more wonderful doughnut photos.

We have 117 menus from 1892 to 1970 that feature the humble doughnut.

From Google Magazines:

• I don't think any of these places are around anymore... still, fun to read. "My Search for the Perfect Doughnut" New York Magazine, Nov 22, 1976.
• Ad from LIFE Magazine, 1937. "Digestable and nutritious"?! Doughnuts Go to a Party.
• A doughnut machine helps the needy in Cebu, Philippines. "Distinguished Doughnuts" The Rotarian, Aug 1965.

Find doughnuts near you with Foursquare.

Browse doughnut books in the catalog.

Find DVDs of America's most famous doughnut eater, Homer Simpson.

Illustration of proper dough consistency

Take a Tip: There's Dollars in Doughnuts by the Procter & Gamble Bakery Service - A treatise on doughnut production available through HathiTrust.

Krispy Kreme on the Make video from the Internet Archive.

Creme, jelly, glazed, powdered sugar... how will you celebrate?