National Banana Split Day

The banana split is a delicious American dessert that has been enjoyed for over 117 years and is still one of the most popular ice cream desserts in the U.S. It is a dish that comes in an almost endless variety of versions but generally consists of a banana, vanilla ice cream, some kind of sweet sauce such as chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and maraschino cherries. It is such a beloved dessert, it even has its own holiday. The holiday for it is National Banana Split Day—a day that falls on August 25th every year.

The History Of National Banana Split Day

Although we don’t know the official origin of National Banana Split Day, we think that it originated with The Great American Banana Split Celebration that occurs in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, every year near the end of August.

The Controversial Origins Of The Banana Split

Even though we would like to be able to give our readers a definitive time and place when the banana split was invented, its origins are a bit controversial. In one story, an optometrist named David Strickler invented the banana split in 1904 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Another story disputes that origin and instead says that the banana split was invented by Ernest Hazard in 1907 in Wilmington, Ohio.

Most food historians believe that it was probably invented in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, by David Strickler in 1904. And evidently, the National Ice Cream Retailers Association agrees with that assessment because they certified Latrobe, Pennsylvania, as the official birthplace of the banana split.

Fun Facts About Banana Splits

Looking to enjoy some banana split-themed fun facts while you’re enjoying your banana and ice cream dessert? Well, if you are, then you’ve definitely come to the right place. We have several scoops of fun facts that we think anyone observing this holiday is probably going to enjoy.

  • According to some experts, Walgreen drug stores are responsible for the popularity of the banana split in the U.S.
  • The largest banana split to be featured in the Guinness Book of World Records was claimed by the town of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.
  • Selinsgrove’s banana split featured 33,000 bananas, 2,500 gallons of ice cream, and 150 gallons of chocolate syrup.
  • The Banana Splits Adventure Hour was an American TV variety show that ran from September 7, 1968, to September 5, 1970.

Observing National Banana Split Day

Those of you who want to celebrate National Banana Split Day can do so by taking the time out of your day to either head down to your local ice cream shop to buy a banana split or make one of your own. Personally, we prefer the latter because then we can load up the banana split with a wide variety of goodies. Regardless of how you celebrate it, however, just be sure to use the hashtag #NationalBananaSplitDay on your social media accounts to let everyone know you’re celebrating the day in style.

When is it?
This year (2024)
August 25 Sunday
Next year (2025)
August 25 Monday
Last year (2023)
August 25 Friday
Topic
Food & Drinks