In the United States, the breakfast food commonly known as pancakes can also be referred to by another name: flapjacks. This breakfast food is made with a simple batter of milk, sugar, and flour and is usually topped with butter and pancake syrup, although some people may choose to top their flapjacks with honey and/or fruit.

Of course, the name flapjack has also been appropriated by a baked bar that’s made from rolled oats and brown sugar and cut into squares. But we’re going to ignore those as we believe the holiday called National Flapjack Day refers to pancakes and not these bars. With that said, let’s all celebrate this holiday whenever it rolls around on March 7th of each year with a big plate of flapjacks.

The History of National Flapjack Day

Okay, we did a little bit of research and found out some very interesting things about the word “flapjacks.” According to our research, the term flapjack was first used to refer to an oat bar that is very similar to North American granola bars and was commonly made in England during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The name would take on an entirely different meaning in the United States, however. When it was brought to North America, the word flapjack was used to refer to pancakes — particularly, pancakes that are cooked on a hot, flat griddle.

So, if the term flapjack was originally used to refer to cereal bars, then why is National Flapjack Day a day dedicated to pancakes? It’s because this holiday was literally created by Kodiak Cakes, a company that makes pancake mixes, to celebrate healthier flapjacks for people who work hard every day.

It’s now a day that’s observed annually on March 7th to celebrate pancakes. Although if a person really wanted to celebrate oat bars, then we don’t see the harm in it.

Observing National Flapjack Day

National Flapjack Day can be observed, at least in our opinion, with a nice big stack of pancakes. Yes, delicious, moist, and syrup-covered pancakes. They can be just ordinary buttermilk pancakes, blueberry pancakes, banana nut pancakes, or even red velvet with cream cheese pancakes.

Go crazy with your flapjack recipes on this day and don’t forget to show the world your pancake creations by taking a picture and using the hashtag #NationalFlapjackDay on social media. We’re big fans of pancakes, um, we mean flapjacks, and look forward to some of the creative ways that people make them. So, go out there and get creative with your flapjacks!