National Hamburger Day
Track National Hamburger Day 🍔 inside the Obscure Holiday Calendar app using reminders, visual badges, and social-ready cards.
Overview
National Hamburger Day, celebrated annually on May 28th, is a delicious holiday dedicated to honoring one of America's most iconic and universally beloved dishes. This day encourages people to enjoy hamburgers in all their diverse forms, from classic beef patties with simple toppings to gourmet creations, and to appreciate the hamburger's significant role in global cuisine and culture. It's an opportune time for backyard barbecues, restaurant visits, or experimenting with new burger recipes to savor this versatile sandwich.
Origin and story
The name "hamburger" is believed to derive from Hamburg, Germany, known for its Frikadeller, a fried minced meat patty.
While its exact origin is debated, many credit Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, with serving the first American hamburger sandwich in 1900.
Quick facts
- DateMay 28
- TypeFood / Dessert
- Great forFoodies, Chocolate lovers, Home bakers
Also on this date
Ways to celebrate
Congress has actually weighed in on who invented the hamburger — a rare case of the federal government settling a food origin dispute.
Meet the officially recognized inventor
In 1900, Louis Lassen of Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut served a rushed customer a broiled ground beef patty between two slices of bread — in 2000, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro pushed through legislation officially crediting Lassen, and the Library of Congress recorded him as the creator of the first American hamburger.
Know the name traces to Germany
The dish's name comes from "Hamburg steak," a seasoned ground beef patty popular in 19th-century Hamburg, Germany, which German immigrants brought to the U.S. in the 1840s and 1850s decades before anyone put it on a bun.
Read the fuller history
Helpful resources:
Did you know?
Louis Lassen's claim isn't uncontested — Charlie Nagreen, the Menches brothers, Oscar Weber Bilby, and Fletcher Davis of Texas all have their own competing hamburger-invention legends, and no historian has fully settled the dispute despite the Congressional recognition.
Fun facts
- The name "hamburger" is believed to derive from Hamburg, Germany, known for its Frikadeller, a fried minced meat patty.
- While its exact origin is debated, many credit Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, with serving the first American hamburger sandwich in 1900.
- Americans consume an estimated 50 billion hamburgers annually, making it one of the most popular fast foods in the country.
Sources and attribution
Louis' Lunch and the Birth of the Hamburger (Connecticut History, a CTHumanities project)
External links may lead to third-party websites.
Continue your streak
Open one more holiday before you go to build daily momentum.
FAQ
- When is National Hamburger Day?
- It is observed on May 28 each year.
- What is National Hamburger Day?
- National Hamburger Day, celebrated annually on May 28th, is a delicious holiday dedicated to honoring one of America's most iconic and universally beloved dishes. This day encourages people to enjoy hamburgers in all their diverse forms, from classic beef patties with simple toppings to gourmet creations, and to appreciate the hamburger's significant role in global cuisine and culture. It's an opportune time for backyard barbecues, restaurant visits, or experimenting with new burger recipes to savor this versatile sandwich.
- How do people celebrate National Hamburger Day?
- Grill up a burger and consider its contested history — Congress officially credited Louis Lassen of New Haven's Louis' Lunch as the inventor in 2000, though several other Americans have their own competing claims.
Get the app
Thousands of obscure holidays, daily widgets, reminders, and fun facts—free on iOS and Android.