National Biscuit Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on the 29th of May in the United Kingdom and the United States. However, it should be noted that each of these holidays celebrates very different things in each of these two countries. In the United Kingdom, the word biscuit is used to describe a thin cookie that’s made out of flour, sugar, and butter and is usually crumbly.

In the U.S., the word biscuit is used what the British would most likely call a buttermilk scone. Of course, since there’s no rule book telling people what they can and can’t do on this day, we suppose that it’s possible for people living in the U.K. to enjoy an American biscuit, and for people in the U.S. to enjoy a British biscuit.

The History Of National Biscuit Day

This is certainly a holiday that’s going to need to be unpacked. After all, it’s most likely a holiday that was created by two different holidays coming together. There was a Biscuit Day observed in Great Britain to celebrate those delicious hard cookies, and there was a Biscuit Day in the United States that celebrated those staples of Southern cooking. Someone probably came up with the bright idea to combine these two holidays and National Biscuit Day was born.

In the United Kingdom, biscuits originally were known as “small cakes” that were served with tea during the 19th century. However, as the years rolled on, it began to be attributed to a number of different baked goods. Not only were sweet crunchy cookie-like treats named biscuits, but also some savory crackers. The most popular biscuits in the U.K. today include the Digestive, Shortbread, and of course, Jammie Dodgers.

In the United States, as we explained previously, the word biscuit is used to describe a flour-based food product with a firm dry exterior and a soft crumbly interior. They are usually eaten with butter, jelly, jam, or preserves, but can also be covered in a cream gravy that’s made with sausage and/or bacon fat and is known either as Country Gravy or Sawmill Gravy. Anyway, these biscuits were brought to the U.S. by English settlers (most likely as scones) but have evolved into their own treat.

The one thing that both the U.K. and the U.S. biscuit share is that each country adores its particular type of biscuits. So much so, it’s not uncommon to see people from Great Britain and the United States heading to Internet forums to discuss which product is better. Our opinion is that both biscuits are beloved in their respective regions and we think there’s a reason for people to try either one on National Biscuit Day.

Observing National Biscuit Day

How should this holiday be observed? Well, it will certainly depend on what type of biscuit people want to celebrate. Some people will enjoy the UK version, while others will choose the US version. It doesn’t matter to us which one people choose. All that we ask is people spread the news about this holiday using the hashtag #NationalBiscuitDay on social media.