National Concha Day Date in the current year: December 8, 2024

Conchas are probably the most widely known and popular type of Mexican sweet bread (pan dulce). A concha is a round bread roll with a crunchy topping composed of butter, flour, and sugar. Conchas resemble seashells due to a combination of their round shape and pattermed topping, hence the name (concha is Spanish for “shell”).

Conchas were invented sometime in the 19th century thanks to French bakers and pastry chefs who came to Mexico in the 1830s and brought brioche recipes with them. Brioche is a type of French bread made from rich dough with a high egg and butter content; conchas are similar to brioche in that they are made from enriched yeast-based dough that consists of wheat flour, milk or water, sugar, butter, eggs, yeast, and salt.

Concha dough can be flavored with vanilla, orange blossom (flor de azahar), aniseed, or cinnamon. The crunchy sugar topping can be white (vanilla) or brown (chocolate); it can also be colored with food coloring (pink conchas are especially popular but some bakeries sell conchas in every color of the rainbow). In some parts of Mexico, conchas can be made with sweet or savory fillings, such as heavy cream, custard or beans. Conchas are typically eaten with hot chocolate, coffee, and other hot beverages. They can also be consumed with cold milk.

Conchas are commonly eaten during family meals and celebrations. Because of this, they have become associated with family and good times. Over the past few years, conchas have become increasingly popular outside of Mexico, especially in other countries of the Americas. In 2016, a Concha Burger even won the Blended Burger Project, an annual contest held by the James Beard Foundation.

National Concha Day was launched in 2017 by three Latinas from California: Jessica Resendiz of Raggedy Tiff, Alicia Becerra of Alicia’s Delicias and Karina Jimenez of Viva Los Cupcakes. They started a Change.org petition, urging California governor Jerry Brown and eight senators to designate December 8 as National Concha Day in order to celebrate this delicious pastry and raise awareness of Mexican customs and traditions.

They chose such a date because December 8 is the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception (Día de la Concepción) in the Catholic church. In Mexican culture, Concha is a popular nickname for Concepción, so the Feast of Conception seemed like an appropriate day to celebrate conchas and Mexican culture in general.

As of 2023, the petition had almost 6,000 signatures and was still open for signing. Although National Concha Day hasn’t been made official yet and its Instagram account has been inactive since August 2018, plenty of people celebrate the holiday because it is a great excuse to indulge in delicious pastries. You can join the celebration by buying conchas at your local bakery or making them at home. And don’t forget to spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #NationalConchaDay.