As funny as it may sound there is actually a special day dedicated to garlic. And yes, that garlic that we use in cooking and eating. The ones that we use to spice up our foods and make them taste better. This special day is called National Garlic Day and it is celebrated every 19th of April each year.
About the National Garlic Day
Though an unofficial holiday, many people still celebrate National Garlic Day. They conduct various celebratory activities including eating meals that make use of garlic, planting garlic in their garden, and sharing interesting facts about garlic to their friends and family.
Garlic Day History
Unfortunately, even with extensive research about this holiday, we cannot exactly pinpoint where and how this celebration started. We also don’t know who founded this day. But still, we can make a good guess as to why this day was founded. Perhaps a person or a group of people thought that we already have a lot of food holidays in the world but we don’t have one for garlic, which is one of the most important ingredients in the world. Thus, a special unofficial holiday for commemorating garlic was started.
Garlic Day Dates
As mentioned earlier, National Garlic Day is celebrated every 19th of April each year. This means that the dates of celebration for this day are as follows:
- Sunday, April 19,
- Monday, April 19,
- Tuesday, April 19, 2022
- Wednesday, April 19, 2023
- Friday, April 19, 2024
Why Celebrate Garlic Day
The following are the main reasons why you should participate in the celebration of the National Garlic Day:
To Appreciate Garlic
We use garlic in cooking many times but we fail to give appreciation to it even just a little. This is the time to stop that and think about how much garlic helps you in cooking. Thus, you must celebrate this day to show your appreciation for garlic.
To Cook Something Good
Celebrating this day is also a good excuse for you to cook something nice. There are a lot of good foods that you can cook which make use of garlic. Take this opportunity to indulge yourself in eating delicious meals.
Celebration Ideas and Activities
The following are the best things to do to make your celebration of the National Garlic Day as best as it can be:
Cook Something with Garlic
Garlic is basically one of the basic ingredients in the thousands or even millions of recipes that can be cooked. And with that, one good idea for your celebration of this day is to cook something that makes use of garlic. It can be as simple as fried beans with garlic or more complicated like stew with garlic as an ingredient.
Do the Garlic Challenge
Another good idea to celebrate this day is to do the garlic breath challenge. Try to encourage your family and friends to participate in this. All you have to do is to eat raw garlic then talk to each other closely. You will have to withstand the odor, but don’t be frightened because it will only smell like food. And don’t fear eating raw garlic because it actually has a lot of nutrients in it.
National Garlic Day Celebrate on Social Media
You can also take your celebration of this day on social media. You can, for instance, use the hashtag #NationalGarlicDay to let your friends and followers know that you are also participating in the celebration of this day.
Interesting Facts About Garlic
- The common garlic you see is the one shaped in cloves. But there is actually another variety called scapes. They taste like scallions and they are commonly added in soups, pestos, and butter.
- Most of the garlic in the world is produced and exported by China.
- According to statistics, the average consumption of garlic by humans Is about 2 pounds per person.
- There are a lot of health benefits in eating garlic including the ability to reduce cholesterol in your body.
- Garlic contains a compound called allicin which is a good combatant against heart disease.
- Other nutrients and vitamins contained in garlic include magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, iron, selenium, zinc, vitamin C, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene.
- Egyptians who were engaged in building pyramids back in the ancient times ate garlic to strengthen their bodies.
- The term garlic came from two Anglo-Saxon words “gar” which means spear and “lac” which means plant.
- In his 1987 novel entitled Dracula, Van Helsing used garlic as a protective agent against vampires.
- Garlic can be used to make glue.