Italy celebrates World Pizza Day today. Numerous events are planned across the country. In 2018, the city of origin of the dish, Naples, declared St. Anthony’s Day on January 17 World Pizza Day to honor the traditional baking craft. Saint Anthony is considered, among other things, the patron saint of bakers and thus also of pizza bakers.
But not only today the dish is given the honor of a holiday. June 11th is the day of Pizza Margherita, because legend has it that the first pizza of this type was made in Naples on that day in 1889. Alternatively, June 15th is also considered the commemoration day of St. Vitus, the patron saint of innkeepers, as pizza day.
Since the year 2000, October 25th has been the World Pizza Maker Day. On that day, Pope John Paul II, who was in office at the time, blessed the profession during a general audience of pizza bakers from all over the world. Pizza is a global trademark of Italian cuisine and a piece of national identity. It was recognized by UNESCO as a cultural heritage of humanity in 2017.
The United States traditionally celebrates National Pizza Day on February 9th. As with many curious public holidays, it is not known who exactly is responsible for the day. Among other things, it is said to be based on an initiative by the US magazine “Pizza Today”. In 1987, Congress declared February International Pizza Month. In 2009, Congress declared February 9 as Pizza Day in the country’s culinary calendar.
