National Spaghetti Day is celebrated each year on January 4 and highlights spaghetti as one of the world’s most popular pasta dishes. While the holiday does not have a clearly documented founder, it began appearing in the United States around 1970 and was later formally recognized as a national day in 2015. Its origins are often linked to Italian immigrant communities, who sought to honor their national dish and share authentic recipes with a wider audience.
Thomas Jefferson also played an early role in introducing pasta to the United States after encountering it in Europe in the late 18th century. While not a founder of the holiday, Jefferson is often referred to as the “Founding Father of Pasta” in America for bringing pasta back to the U.S. in 1789, long before Italian immigration in the late 1800s and early 1900s helped make spaghetti a common part of everyday cooking.
🍝 Spaghetti lovers may also enjoy marking other pasta-themed national days celebrated throughout the year.
When Is National Spaghetti Day Celebrated?
National Spaghetti Day is observed on a fixed date each year, making it easy to plan ahead. Below is a look at how January 4 falls on the calendar through 2030, including the corresponding weekdays.
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | January 4, Sunday |
| 2027 | January 4, Monday |
| 2028 | January 4, Tuesday |
| 2029 | January 4, Thursday |
| 2030 | January 4, Friday |
Fun Facts About Pasta and Spaghetti
Spaghetti has a long and surprising history that reaches beyond cooking, touching trade, science, and popular culture.
- Name origin: The word spaghetti comes from the Italian spago, meaning “thin string” or “twine,” referring to the pasta’s long, narrow shape.
- Marco Polo myth: Contrary to popular belief, Marco Polo didn’t introduce pasta to Italy from China. Historical records show that pasta was already part of the Italian diet before he set sail in the 13th century.
- Arab influence: Arab traders likely introduced dried pasta to Sicily around the 9th century. Its long shelf life made it an ideal “portable” food for long desert and sea journeys.
- Early records: The first known written record of pasta dates to 1154 in Sicily, though tomatoes were not commonly paired with pasta until the 1800s.
- Eating with bare hands: Until the 18th century, even wealthy diners often ate spaghetti with their bare hands. The growing popularity of long, slippery pasta helped drive the wider adoption of the fork in Italy as a more practical eating tool.
- A “Dessert” Dish: In the 1700s, pasta was sometimes served as a dessert with sugar, cinnamon, and soft cheese. Tomato sauce became common much later, in the 1800s.
- Canned spaghetti: Hector Boiardi, an Italian immigrant who opened a restaurant in 1920, played a major role in making spaghetti a pantry staple by launching his canned spaghetti brand.
- Many shapes, one classic: There are more than 600 pasta shapes worldwide, yet spaghetti remains one of the most widely used.
- Pasta consumption: The average Italian eats more than 60 pounds of pasta per year, with spaghetti among the most common choices. In comparison, the average American consumes about 20 pounds annually.
- Longest strand record: The longest single spaghetto ever made measured 455 meters and was created in Germany in 2005.
- Largest serving: In 2010, the biggest bowl of spaghetti ever recorded filled a swimming pool in Garden Grove, California, using over six metric tons of pasta.
- Pop culture: One of the most famous spaghetti scenes appears in Lady and the Tramp, where two dogs share a plate of spaghetti and accidentally kiss, a moment that has been widely referenced and recreated in popular culture.
- The spaghetti tree hoax: In 1957, the BBC aired an April Fools’ segment showing a fictional spaghetti harvest in Switzerland, convincing many viewers that spaghetti grew on trees.
Ways to Celebrate National Spaghetti Day
National Spaghetti Day is the perfect opportunity to appreciate this beloved dish in a new way. Whether you’re cooking at home or dining out, there are plenty of ways to honor the occasion.
- You could try out a traditional Italian recipe you’ve never made before, such as spaghetti carbonara or spaghetti alle vongole.
- For those feeling adventurous, why not attempt to make fresh homemade spaghetti?
- If you’d rather keep it simple, enjoy a classic bowl of spaghetti and meatballs or host a spaghetti night with friends and family.
