National Donut Day falls on the first Friday of June in the United States, and big coffee-and-doughnut chains like Dunkin' — the brand once known as Dunkin' Donuts — mark it by handing out a free or discounted doughnut. But here is the part most people get wrong: the day itself is not a Dunkin' invention, and no doughnut chain dreamed it up. It began as a charity fundraiser almost a century ago, and the free-doughnut giveaways you see today are simply how modern brands join a much older tradition.
What is National Donut Day, and when is it?
National Donut Day is an annual, unofficial food holiday observed in the United States on the first Friday of June. Because it is pinned to the first Friday rather than a fixed date, the calendar day shifts each year — it can land anywhere from June 1 to June 7. It is a celebration of the doughnut in all its forms, from glazed rings to filled and frosted varieties, and over the decades it has grown into one of the most widely marketed "national day" observances on the food calendar.
Spelling, understandably, is a moving target: "donut" and "doughnut" are used interchangeably, and you will see both the "dunkin donuts national donut day" and "donut day" phrasings in searches and store signage. The holiday is the same either way. What makes it stand out from the hundreds of novelty food days is that it has a genuine, documented history — and a charitable one at that.
The origin: the Salvation Army and the WWI "Donut Lassies"
National Donut Day was created by The Salvation Army in Chicago in 1938. The organization launched it as a fundraiser during the Great Depression, both to raise money for its relief work and to honor the volunteers who had served doughnuts to American soldiers during World War I.
Those volunteers are the reason the holiday exists. In 1917, Salvation Army workers were sent to France to set up huts near the front lines, where exhausted soldiers could find a familiar comfort. Two of them, Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance, famously began frying doughnuts — reportedly, at first, in soldiers' steel helmets for lack of proper equipment. The treats were an instant morale boost, and the women who made them became known affectionately as the "Donut Lassies" (sometimes called the Doughnut Girls).
When those soldiers came home, the association between doughnuts and comfort came with them, and the doughnut's popularity in American life soared. Two decades later, the Salvation Army turned that goodwill into an annual event. So the next time someone credits a coffee chain, remember: National Donut Day started as a tribute to wartime volunteers and a Depression-era charity drive — not a marketing campaign.
Why the free doughnut fits the story
There is a neat logic to the modern giveaway. The holiday was born from an act of generosity — giving a soldier a warm doughnut with nothing expected in return — so the "free doughnut" gesture, whatever form it takes, echoes the original spirit rather than contradicting it. The charity roots are also why many Salvation Army locations still hold fundraising and awareness events on the day.
How Dunkin' (Dunkin' Donuts) celebrates National Donut Day today
Dunkin' is one of the chains most closely linked to the day in the public imagination, partly because doughnuts were literally in its former name, Dunkin' Donuts. For the dunkin national donut day observance, the brand typically offers guests a free classic doughnut of their choice, most commonly paired with a beverage purchase, at participating locations. The exact terms — which doughnut styles qualify, whether a drink is required, and how it is redeemed through the app or in store — vary from year to year and from location to location, so the smart move is to check the current year's announcement rather than assume last year's deal.
What stays consistent is the gesture: a familiar doughnut, offered as a small celebration, on a day the brand is happy to lean into. Because Dunkin' built its identity around coffee and doughnuts, the holiday is a natural fit for its stores and app promotions. If you want the fuller story of the company itself — how it grew, rebranded from Dunkin' Donuts to simply Dunkin', and where its menu sits today — that belongs in our Dunkin' brand guide, and the specific rings, crullers, and filled options are covered in our rundown of Dunkin' doughnut flavors. Here, we are staying on the holiday.
How other chains join in on National Donut Day
Dunkin' is far from alone. National Donut Day has become an industry-wide moment, and many doughnut and coffee brands run their own gestures on the first Friday of June. Krispy Kreme is the other headline participant: it has a long tradition of offering guests a free doughnut on the day, often with no purchase required — a slightly different flavor of the same generosity.
Beyond the two giants, regional bakeries, independent doughnut shops, and international chains frequently mark the day too. Some tie their giveaways to a small donation to charity, nodding back to the holiday's fundraising origins. Others simply use it as a reason to spotlight a seasonal or signature doughnut. The pan-Asian chain J.CO, for instance, has its own devoted following; you can read about it in our J.CO Donuts brand guide. The takeaway is that National Donut Day is now less about any single company and more about a shared, playful excuse to enjoy a doughnut.
Who does what: typical National Donut Day gestures
| Who | Typical National Donut Day gesture |
|---|---|
| The Salvation Army | The founder of the day; runs awareness and fundraising events, sharing the Donut Lassies' history |
| Dunkin' (Dunkin' Donuts) | Usually a free classic doughnut, often with a beverage purchase, at participating stores |
| Krispy Kreme | Traditionally a free doughnut for guests, frequently with no purchase necessary |
| Independent and regional doughnut shops | Free or discounted doughnuts, limited-run flavors, or a doughnut-for-donation swap |
| Cafes and coffee shops | Doughnut-and-coffee pairings, in-store specials, or featured seasonal bakes |
Offers change every year and differ by location; treat the above as the shape of the celebration, not a fixed promise.
How to celebrate National Donut Day
You do not need a chain's promotion to take part. A few simple ways to mark the first Friday of June:
- Support a local doughnut shop. Independent bakeries often do their most creative work for the day. Buying a box is a friendly nod to the holiday's community spirit.
- Learn (and share) the real story. Tell someone about the Donut Lassies and the 1938 Salvation Army origin — it is a genuinely good piece of history and a reminder of why the day exists.
- Pair it with a proper coffee. A doughnut and a well-pulled espresso or drip coffee is a classic combination; the day is a fine excuse to slow down for one.
- Give back. In keeping with its charitable roots, some people mark the day with a small donation or by supporting a shop that ties its giveaway to a good cause.
- Make your own. Frying or baking doughnuts at home is a rewarding weekend project, and it connects you to the hands-on origins of the tradition.
However you spend it, the day is best enjoyed the way it started — as a small, shared pleasure. If you are planning to make an outing of it, our explainer on what a cafe is and what to expect from one is a good companion, since a doughnut and a coffee counter go hand in hand.
The bottom line
National Donut Day is a US food holiday on the first Friday of June with a real and rather moving backstory: a Salvation Army fundraiser launched in 1938 to honor the WWI Donut Lassies. The free-doughnut offers from Dunkin', Krispy Kreme, and others are a modern layer on top of that history — a fun, generous way for chains to join in, but not the reason the day exists. Knowing where it came from makes the doughnut taste a little better. Enjoy one, and maybe share the story of the Lassies while you do.