National Cucumber Day Date in the current year: June 14, 2024

Today, cucumbers are grown on most continents and are one of the most ubiquitous vegetables, but it hasn’t always been so. The cucumber originated in the Himalayan region and is thought to have been introduced to Europe by the Greeks or Romans: there are mentions of cucumbers in Pliny the Elder’s works. The Spanish brought cucumbers to the New World in the late 15th century.

Hundreds of cucumber varieties have developed during thousands of years of cultivation, but all of them can be divided into three large groups: slicing, pickling, and seedless. Slicing cucumbers are grown to eat fresh, and pickling cucumbers are grown for making pickles. Although pickling cucumbers can be eaten fresh and any cucumber can be pickled, pickling cucumbers are better suited for making pickles due to their size and shape.

Finally, seedless cucumbers, also known burpless or English cucumbers, are grown for eating fresh just like slicing cucumbers. They are considered superior to other cucumber varieties due to their sweet taste, thin skin, and lack of seeds. Seedless cucumbers are usually grown in greenhouses and available all the year round.

It is unclear who first came up with the idea of celebrating National Cucumber Day, but the holiday seems to have been around since the early 2010s. In 2016, Hendrick’s Gin (a brand of gin produced by the Scottish company William Grant & Sons) took over the holiday to promote its original gin infused with cucumber and Bulgarian rose.

The official website of Hendrick’s Gin refers to the holiday as World Cucumber Day and suggests that you celebrate it with a tall glass of refreshing gin and tonic garnished with cucumber slices or a cucumber twist. However, if you’re not a fan of gin and tonic, you can still celebrate Cucumber Day because it is for all cucumber lovers out there, and no one actually owns it.

Here are just a few ideas you can use to make your National Cucumber Day special:

• Learn more about the health benefits of cucumbers (contrary to a common misconception, these vegetables are more than just water).
• Make a pitcher of cucumber lemonade or cucumber water to keep yourself hydrated.
• Make cucumber salad for lunch or simply snack on cucumbers throughout the day.
• Treat yourself to a spinach cucumber smoothie (cucumbers, baby spinach, lemon, frozen banana, coconut water) or a pineapple cucumber smoothie (cucumber, pineapple, banana, frozen strawberries, leafy greens, apple juice, almond milk).
• Learn how to make pickled cucumbers.
• Invite your friends over for an English tea party with cucumber sandwiches.
• Use cucumber slices to soothe your skin and keep it hydrated.
• Visit a local farm to see how cucumbers are grown.

And don’t forget to spread the word about this amazing holiday on social media with the hashtags #CucumberDay, #NationalCucumberDay and #WorldCucumberDay.