National Hamburger Day is a day to celebrate one of the cornerstone foods of Western civilization – the hamburger! While this food was initially invented in Germany, its popularity has spread like wildfire throughout the United States and Canada. Which is probably why May 28^th was earmarked as a day to celebrate the burger.

History of National Hamburger Day

No one really knows when this holiday was created, but it must have been created by someone who loved the burger. Of course, no one really knows the history of the burger either, although food historians do have some ideas on the subject.

It’s believed that the modern hamburger can be traced all the way back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt. The Egyptians would prepare ground meat that was formed into patties and spiced with various spices.

Genghis Khan’s Mongol army also ate patties of ground meat. However, their patties were placed under the saddles of their horses so that when they rode, the friction between the horse and the saddle would tenderize the meat. They then consumed the end product raw.

Eventually, the ground meat of the Mongolian army made it to Russia where it was transformed into Steak Tartare – a raw beef delicacy. During the 16th century, Steak Tartare traveled from Russia to Germany via trade routes from a Russian port to the port of Hamburg, Germany. And it’s there where it really began to transform itself into the dish we all know and love today.

Hamburg Steaks, as they were now called, became popular among German sailors. These Hamburg Steaks were then introduced to the U.S. by German immigrants that migrated there during the 18th and 19th centuries. From there, it transformed into the American hamburger.

Hot and Juicy Hamburger Facts

• Hamburgers account for almost half of all sandwiches sold.
• Americans consume over 50 billion burgers a year.
• McDonald’s sells 75 burgers each second (or 270,000 burgers an hour!).
• The oldest burger chain in the United States is White Castle.
• Cheese became a popular addition to hamburgers during the 1920s.
• American GIs during WWII tried to rename hamburgers as “Liberty Sandwiches”.

Celebrating National Hamburger Day

Celebrating National Hamburger Day can be done in a variety of different ways. You can throw a hamburger-themed party, eat hamburgers for every meal, go out to your favorite hamburger restaurant and enjoy a burger, or experiment with making your own burger. Of course, if none of those things appeal to you, then you can always visit the Burger Museum in Miami, Florida, or visit the “Home of the Hamburger” in Seymour, Wisconsin.

Conclusion

National Hamburger Day is the perfect day to throw some burgers on the grill and spend some time enjoying one of the most historic and storied sandwiches to have ever been created. A sandwich that has traveled all over the world and is still changing and evolving.