Croissant Day

Croissant Day is January 30th

Croissant Day might be the easiest holiday to celebrate ever. The buttery, flaky goodness of croissants brings so much joy to the world every day. But on January 30th, let’s show extra appreciation for this splendid pastry.

Although the first bakery to serve croissants opened in Paris, the origins of the croissant are actually Austrian. They were adapted from another crescent-shaped Austrian pastry called a Kipferl. Although it was the French imitators who named the pastry a croissant; which is the French word for crescent. There are many legends associated with the invention of the croissant, most of which have to do with celebrating the defeat of enemy forces. In one story it celebrates the French defeating the Umayyad forces, who used the Islamic crescent moon as their symbol. In another story, it celebrates the Austrians defeating the Ottomans, who had a crescent moon on their flag. Neither story can be proven, but they are both a testament to how ingrained croissants are in these two countries’ culture.

Fun Facts for Croissant Day

• Did you know croissant dough rests for 24 hours before being baked?
• Because it’s not in crescent shape, a chocolate croissant is technically called: pain au chocolat
• Croissants frequently appear in movies, perhaps most notably, the croissant scene in It’s Complicated 
• This treat dates back to the 13th century

How to Celebrate Croissant Day

• Write up your dream vacation to Paris
• Try to make your own (leave ample time)
• Buy a croissant and count how many layers are inside when you rip it open
• Practice speaking French while enjoying your croissant