The month of July calls for many celebrations around a firepit, with one of them being the National Graham Crackers Day on July 5. The extremely renowned crackers make for great s’mores, pie bases, and crispy crumb coating for your fried foodstuff. Graham crackers were originally invented as a healthy alternative to eating other foods that were thought to cause epilepsy, tuberculosis, and a range of other illnesses. The recipe for the crackers included graham flour, brans, and grains. The crackers were on the blander side with the slightest hints of sweetness. Soon, people realized that the somewhat bland taste of the crackers made for a great addition to pie, cake, and frying recipes.
History of National Graham Crackers Day
National Graham Cracker Day celebrates graham crackers, which have interesting origins. The story goes that a reverend from the 19th century called Sylvester Graham, who was part of the temperance movement that wanted to curb the intake of alcohol, invented the crackers as a way of controlling lustful desires. He believed that a simple vegetarian diet and lifestyle was how God intended human beings to live. The people who followed him were called ‘Grahamites’, and together, these people led one of the first all-vegetarian movements in America. According to Graham, such a lifestyle, free of sins related to lust and gluttony, also kept diseases like tuberculosis, spinal diseases, and insanity at bay. Thus, he created the graham cracker recipe from coarsely ground wholewheat flour, brans, and grains. The reverend added only a little sweetness to make it easier to consume, but he kept the flavors mainly bland. As commercialization and industrialization started gaining momentum all over the world graham crackers started being produced commercially. The commercialized version had different flavorings and ingredients. They were made with refined and bleached flour, and had additions like cinnamon, sugar, honey, and chocolate. Eventually, other companies tried to reproduce similar crackers with their own flavor combinations. Because of their versatility, you can use the crackers in a number of recipes, both sweet and savory.
National Graham Crackers Day timeline
Reverend Sylvester Graham invents graham crackers as a way to combat sins like lust and gluttony.
The United States starts producing graham crackers on a commercial scale.
Another company by the name of Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company starts producing and selling graham crackers.
Graham crackers are produced as Honey Grahams by the National Biscuit Company.
National Graham Crackers Day FAQs
When is National Graham Crackers Day?
National Graham Crackers Day is commemorated on July 5 every year.
What can you use instead of graham crackers?
You can use potato chips, pretzels, grains, oats, crushed ice cream cones, and other similar food items.
Were graham crackers invented to taste bad?
The original graham crackers weren’t made to be tasty. Sylvester Graham, a reverend, made the crackers using wholewheat flour, wheat bran, and ground germ.
National Graham Crackers Day Activities
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Go crackers with the crackers
The amount of things you can do with graham crackers is limitless! You can crush them and use them as a coating for things like meat or other fried items. You can also eat them as appetizers or finger food served with sour cream and vegetables.
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Try the classic s’mores
The combination of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers is a match made in heaven. The unique and distinct flavors of each of these items go so well together that just thinking about it makes our mouths water!
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Make a new graham-crackers recipe
Put your culinary skills to the test to come up with a new recipe involving graham crackers. If you cannot think of any recipe, you can research one and try it for yourself, modifying it to your taste as you go along.
5 Facts About S’mores That Will Blow Your Mind
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The first s’mores
The first recorded record of s’mores dates back to 1927, found in a Girl Scouts handbook by the name of “Tramping and Trailing.”
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The original name
S’mores were originally called ‘some mores’, and it was years of usage that led to it being shortened to s’mores.
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Summer marshmallow sales for s’mores
According to a study, about 50% of the marshmallow sales during the summertime are intended to be used for s’mores.
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Hot coals best for cooking s’mores
Marshmallows mounted on a metal rod above a coal fire will cook more evenly as opposed to other methods.
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Almost a quarter of the population love s’mores
20% of Americans love s’mores so much that they make them all year round.
Why We Love National Graham Crackers Day
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It’s a celebration of graham crackers
Graham crackers are a childhood favorite. They bring back memories while also becoming important parts of other stages of life. They are a great addition to many recipes, only working to further enhance the flavors and levels of the food.
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It’s a celebration of adaptability
One of the great things about graham crackers is how easily they can adapt to any environment you have them in. You can have them around a campfire or in the comfort of your home, it doesn’t matter! The great taste will remain the same no matter how you choose to have it.
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It’s a celebration of recipes
Graham crackers can be bland, but that is actually one of their greatest features! Their blandness allows them to seamlessly blend in with many foods and their different flavors.
National Graham Crackers Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | July 5 | Wednesday |
| 2024 | July 5 | Friday |
| 2025 | July 5 | Saturday |
| 2026 | July 5 | Sunday |
| 2027 | July 5 | Monday |
