Although the calendars of most months are littered with holidays devoted to pies, there are only two pie holidays in the entire month of May. There’s a day dedicated to apple pie on May 13th, and there’s this holiday, National Coconut Cream Pie Day—a day that’s celebrated on May 8th. We think that alone is reason enough for you to cut a piece of your favorite coconut cream pie and enjoy it. After all, nothing brings to mind warmer days than a nice piece of coconut cream pie.

The History of Coconut Cream Pie

As is the case with most dessert holidays, no one really knows who invented National Coconut Cream Pie Day. It’s a holiday that seems to have just popped up on the calendar a few years ago. With that said, we do know the origins of the coconut cream pie quite well. And it’s an origin that we think will surprise many people. After all, most people think that the coconut cream pie is a pie that was invented recently—with its origins maybe going back as far as the 1950s. However, the truth is that this pie has been around for a lot longer than that, all the way to the turn of the 20th century.

During the 19th century, Americans and Europeans became obsessed with the tropical fruits that were being imported. Up until this time, many Americans and Europeans hadn’t had the opportunity to enjoy pineapples and bananas, but once they did, they developed a taste for all things tropical. Unfortunately, there was one tropical fruit—or more accurately—tropical drupe, and that tropical drupe was the coconut.

At this time, coconuts were hard to ship because they tended to go bad on the long voyage to Europe and the Americas. And there wasn’t a lot of demand to change that because Americans and Europeans didn’t really know what to do with coconuts once they got them. However, that changed when a French company in Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) started drying and shredding coconut meat. This allowed the coconut to be shipped all over Europe.

Just as the popularity of coconut exploded all over Europe, a Philadelphia flour miller received a shipment from a Cuban businessman as payment for a debt. In 1895, he set up a factory for drying and shredding coconut meat. This put coconut into the hands of commercial bakers all over the Americas, as well as in commercial bakeries. Almost immediately, coconut cream pies began appearing in recipe books, and by the turn of the 20th century, they could be found everywhere.

Observing National Coconut Cream Pie Day

National Coconut Cream Pie Day can be observed by enjoying a slice of coconut cream pie—it doesn’t matter if it’s store-bought or homemade. Just make sure that you try this pie and share it with friends and family. And while you’re celebrating this holiday, don’t forget to use the hashtag #NationalCoconutCreamPieDay on your social media accounts.