National Croissant Day is a holiday that’s celebrated on January 30th every year, and it’s a day that gives everyone an excuse to enjoy this flaky, and often buttery, crescent-shaped pastry. It’s a pastry that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and can be slathered with everything from butter to cream cheese. So why not take the day to run out to your local grocery store or bakery and buy some croissants, or even take the time to make them yourself?

The History Of The Croissant

We couldn’t uncover the origins of National Croissant Day, other than it was first celebrated somewhere between 2001 and 2005. So we decided to go ahead and discuss the history of the croissant, a history that’s going to be surprising to most people. That’s because the croissant isn’t a French invention like so many people assume it is, but is instead a food that can be traced back to Vienna, Austria.

The croissant owes its existence to the kipfel—an Austrian yeast bread roll that’s been baked since at least the 10th century. However, it should be said that this bread wasn’t as flaky as croissants are today. No, it was the French who “borrowed” this yeast bread roll and made adaptations to it. One of the first adaptations the French made to this bread was to give it more of a crescent shape. They then made it flakier and more tender. And that’s why the croissant is associated with France nowadays and is even a national food of this country. In the U.S., the croissant has also gained quite a bit of popularity over the last few decades.

Fun Facts About The Croissant

As we researched the history of the croissants, we came across some facts about this pastry that we thought were extremely interesting and worth sharing, so we decided to gather up the most notable ones and list them below. With that being said, below are some fascinating facts about croissants and their place in history.

• In the 1920s, the croissant became the official French pastry.
• Before the 19th century, the croissant was a luxury food item.
• An Austrian artillery officer, August Zang, brought the croissant to France.
• The croissant has many different origin legends.

Celebrating National Croissant Day

Regardless of whether you want to go out and buy some croissants or make your own, this day is easy enough to celebrate just by enjoying this bread in one of its many incarnations. A person can also throw a croissant party for their friends and family. And if they’re taking the time to celebrate this holiday, they should take a picture of their croissants and post it to social media using the hashtag #NationalCroissantDay.