Although people in Western countries don’t need to have dairy in their diet to get the nutrition they need to be healthy, milk is an important food for many around the world. It provides calcium and phosphorus, which are essential for bone health, as well as protein.

It also contains Vitamin D, which helps stave off diseases such as rickets, and a number of other nutrients. It’s such an important commodity that a holiday was created to raise public awareness about it.

This holiday is called World Milk Day and it’s observed annually on June 1st. Sounds like the perfect time to drink a big, frosty glass of milk or enjoy some milk in our cereal.

The History of World Milk Day

World Milk Day was created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2001. This holiday was created to raise public awareness about the importance of milk as a global food commodity.

Why was this day placed on June 1st? It was chosen because in many countries, this is a time when milk-related celebrations are already taking place. Although this holiday began slowly, over time it has gained significant momentum.

In 2016, it was celebrated in over 40 countries, and in 2017, it was observed in over 80 countries. Now, it’s a day that’s observed in over 100 countries.

Some Delicious Facts About Milk

No celebration of World Milk Day would be complete without taking the time to learn some milk-related facts. Since we know that people don’t have the time to do extensive research on the subject, we went ahead and did it for them. We now present the fruits of our labor in the following list of delicious milk-related facts. Enjoy!

• Whole milk contains about 87% water. The remaining 13% is fat, protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins.
• Whole milk contains about 149 calories per 8 ounces, while 1% milk contains about 102 calories.
• A cup of milk contains 10% of a person’s Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for potassium and 24% of a person’s RDA for Vitamin D.

Observing World Milk Day

All around the world, festivities for this holiday are organized by community groups, dairy producers and farmers, dairy cooperatives and manufacturers, retailers, schools, universities, and individuals.

So, it’s pretty easy to see that finding a World Milk Day celebration isn’t difficult. People who are observing this holiday are encouraged to also spread the word about it online using the hashtags #EnjoyDairy or #WorldMilkDay.