National Cigar Day Date in the current year: February 27, 2026

A cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves designed to be lit at one end and smoked by drawing smoke through the other end. The word “cigar” derives from the Mayan word sikar, meaning “to smoke rolled tobacco leaves”; most languages borrowed it via Spanish. Most modern cigars consist of three components: the filler, the binder leaf that holds filler leaves together, and the outermost wrapper leaf.

The exact origins of cigar smoking are unclear, but cigars were undoubtedly invented in the Americas because tobacco is native to the continent. European explorers first encountered cigar smoking when they made contact with the indigenous Taíno people of Cuba in the late 15th century.

During the first wave of European colonization, tobacco became one of the main exports from the New World. Conquistadors and sailors adopted the practice of smoking rolled tobacco leaves and introduced it to Spain, Portugal, and eventually, France and other European countries. These early cigars were rather primitive compared to modern ones, and many people preferred pipe smoking.

By the late 18th century, cigar smoking had become widespread, and cigar making had become an important industry. For a long time, cigars were rolled exclusively by hand, either in large factories or in small, family-run shops where they were rolled and sold immediately. However, Oscar Hammerstein I, the grandfather of the famous lyricist and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II, revolutionized cigar production in the late 19th century by patenting a cigar-making machine.

Hammerstein filed his first patent for the machine in June 1880, which was granted in March 1881. He was subsequently granted more patents for improvements to the cigar-making process. For instance, on February 27, 1883, he received a patent for an improvement to the suction table, a work table for cigar factories with built-in suction that holds wrapper or binder leaves flat and in position for cleaner cutting.

As cigarettes became more widespread in the 20th century, cigar smoking shifted from a common form of tobacco use to an occasional practice associated with status and connoisseurship. Today, expensive, quality cigars are still handmade by long-established cigar families that have passed down the art and skill of cigar making from generation to generation.

While the origins of National Cigar Day are unclear, there is no doubt among cigar lovers that cigars deserve to be celebrated. Join the celebration by smoking a cigar alone or with fellow aficionados. Other ways to celebrate include learning about the history of cigars and cigar-making, trying new cigars, treating yourself to a premium cigar, learning how to pair cigars with drinks, and spreading the word on social media with the hashtag #NationalCigarDay.