Friday is National Donut Day, a solemn remembrance of the American heroes who bravely landed in Europe bringing donuts with them to help liberate France from the German war machine.
And as much as that may sound like a particularly weak and uninspired attempt at sounding flippant over D-Day, it’s actually pretty much true. The Austin American-Statesman reports that, unlike so many other similar “holidays,” National Donut Day was not contrived by some company or industry group’s marketing department but the Salvation Army, who declared it in 1938 to honor their “Donut Lassies” of World War I. “In 1917, these women were sent to France to establish field bases near the front lines. In makeshift huts, thousands of soldiers would come to stock up on essential goods and grab a sweet treat baked by the Lassies,” says a page on the Salvation Army’s website.
So when you’re picking up your free donut from Dunkin or Krispy Kreme or Tim Hortons or whoever else is giving them out on Friday just remember that you have to feel kind of guilty for not just the fat, sugar, and calories you’re consuming, but also that you’re participating in a ritual created by an organization with a reputation for hostility toward LGBTQ+ individuals… during Pride Month.