Celebrated on October 29th every year, National Oatmeal Day is a holiday where people can take the time to appreciate and enjoy this humble breakfast food.

Since oatmeal is made from ground oats, it’s a healthy choice for people to eat, and it’s a food that has been enjoyed by people for thousands of years. Why not enjoy this great food holiday by having a steaming bowl of oatmeal in the morning, making oatmeal cookies, or taking an oatmeal bath?

The History of Oatmeal

Although we don’t know who started National Oatmeal Day or when it was started, we know quite a bit about the history of this grain. Oats have been traced back over 4,000 years to Egypt’s 12th Dynasty, and it’s believed that the Chinese knew and consumed oats long before then. In Europe, the Germanic tribes enjoyed oats as a breakfast food, but the Romans scoffed at this idea because they believed that oats were only suitable for consumption by horses. The Greeks also thought of oats as “barbarian food,” and as such, they avoided them too.

Regardless of the Romans’ personal distaste for oats, they did use it heavily for their horses, so they introduced oats to Britain. Since the weather in Britain is highly conducive to growing oats, oat cultivation spread like wildfire—especially in Scotland. And the Scottish weren’t shy about introducing oats into their diet. It even made it into one of their national dishes: haggis. Today, oatmeal is enjoyed all over the world and is a healthy breakfast for millions of people.

Facts About Oatmeal

When some people look at oatmeal, they see a plain, boring bowl of oats, but this grain is far from boring. In fact, it’s a fascinating grain that people should take the time to learn more about. Below are just some of the fascinating facts about this grain crop.

Oatmeal Is Rich in Antioxidants

Just about everyone knows that oatmeal has been shown to reduce cholesterol, but what some people don’t realize is that this food is full of antioxidants. It’s been called a superfood that’s full of antioxidants such as avenanthramides.

Oatmeal Fights Inflammation

Oatmeal is also capable of fighting inflammation in a person as well, all thanks to those little antioxidants.

Oatmeal Reduces Cancer Risk

Oatmeal is also good for reducing a person’s cancer risk. Oatmeal is not just capable of reducing a person’s risk of colon cancer, but a 2007 study has shown that premenopausal women who consume a fiber-rich diet—including oatmeal—had half the chance of developing breast cancer as women who didn’t.

How to Celebrate National Oatmeal Day

Celebrating National Oatmeal Day should be easy for most people. The only requirement for enjoying this holiday is to consume oats in some form or fashion.

This can mean eating a nice bowl of oatmeal in the morning, making oatmeal cookies, or even taking an oatmeal bath. Another way to celebrate this holiday is to enjoy a drink called Agua de Avena—a homemade oatmeal drink that people all over the world love. And anyone planning to celebrate this holiday can use the hashtag #NationalOatmealDay on their social media sites to promote it.