Toast Day

Toast popping out of toaster. towerscain0 / pixabay.com / 2014 / CC0 1.0

Toast Day is celebrated on the last Thursday in February.

Is the topic of toasted bread a simple topic, or a complex one? At heart, toast is just a way of refreshing stale bread to present it in a new, appealing way. But the method of toasting, and the shade of “toastedness”, can completely change the experience. There are some people who like really dark toast; there are others, faced with nearly-burnt toast, make the sign of the cross and point to warnings that it’s a carcinogenic health hazard.

In addition to shades of doneness, you can get specialty toasters that burn novelty designs into the toast. Though after the first few slices, the novelty might wear off…

Is toast a breakfast food only? Sometimes toast becomes a lunch food for toasted sandwiches (think of the classic clubhouse sandwich), but rarely does toast make it to the dinner table.

Do you like your toast warm, or room temperature? Do you prefer your toast toppings sweet or savoury — would you rather have something sweet like jam or cinnamon sugar, or something savoury such as baked beans or melted cheese on your toast?

To celebrate Toast Day, consider:

• making toast from a different type of bread. Many people swear their knees go weak at the mere mention of sourdough toast;
• having some good jams or spreads on hand for the day;
• having toast at every meal;
• as for dinner ideas, you could have an all-day breakfast for dinner, or have some toast points with some potted shrimp or potted meats as a starter;
• don’t forget, there’s always French toast;
• you could treat yourself or someone to a novelty toaster.

If you have just done a perfect job of toasting a piece of bread, or toasted an unusual type of bread, consider taking a snap and share it on social media with the hashtags for the day:

#NationalToastDay #ToastDay

See also: To toast, Melba Toast, French Toast Day

History

Toast Day originated with the Tiptree World Bread Awards in 2014. One of the organizers was a Caroline Kenyon ^[1]Willis, Amy. Today is National Toast Day. Why do we need to celebrate toast. London, England: Metro.co.uk. 23 February 2017. Accessed March 2021 at https://metro.co.uk/2017/02/23/today-is-national-toast-day-why-do-we-need-to-celebrate-toast-6455627/ Tiptree is a company in north Essex, England, which makes jam.

In 2021, the Tiptree World Bread Awards were still promoting National Toast Day. They offered toasters and breakfast hampers as prizes They say, “The organiser of National Toast Day is the Tiptree World Bread Awards supported by Brook Food, Beech House, Kingerby, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire LN8 3PF” ^[2]National Toast Day 2021 – Toast Makes Me Happy! Accessed March 2021 at http://www.worldbreadawards.com/national-toast-day-terms/

Sources

Kooser, Amanda. Celebrate National Toast Day with these outlandish toasters. CNET Magazine. 23 February 2016. Accessed March 2021 at https://www.cnet.com/pictures/celebrate-national-toast-day-with-these-nerdy-toasters/

National Toast Day: What is the best kind of toast? BBC. 28 February 2020. Accessed March 2021 at https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51660541

Richardson, Chloe. National Toast Day: A toast to toast. Stirling, Scotland: Brig News / University of Sterling. 25 February 2021. Accessed March 2021 at https://brignews.com/2021/02/25/national-toast-day-a-toast-to-toast/