National Bagel and Lox Day Date in the current year: February 9, 2024

A bagel is a type of bread that originated in Polish Jewish communities. It is made from yeast dough that is shaped into rings, boiled in water for a short time, and then baked. As a result, bagels are browned and crisp on the outside and dense and chewy on the inside. They are usually topped with sesame or poppy seeds.

The word bagel, also historically spelled beigel, derives from beugel, a German dialect word that means “ring” or “bracelet”. The first mention of bagels dates back to the early 17th century, although bagel-like bread had existed before that. Similar breads exist in other cultures and cuisines, such as bublik in Russia and Ukraine, obwarzanek in Poland, and simit in Turkey.

Bagels, similarly to other dishes considered a staple of American Jewish cuisine such as brisket, pastrami, rugelach, blintz, kugel, latke and chicken soup with matzah balls or kreplach, were brought to the United States by Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants at the turn of the 20th century. In a matter of years, hundreds of small bakeries sprouted all over New York City’s Lower East Side

Bagels can be eaten plain or sliced in half and stuffed with various fillings. One of the most popular bagel fillings is lox, which is the Yiddish name for brined salmon fillet that may or may not be smoked. A sliced bagel with cream cheese and lox is called “a lox and a schmear” (schmear is a Yiddish word for spread). It can be garnished with tomato, cucumber, sliced red onion, capers, and chopped hard-boiled egg.

The bagel and lox is believed to have originated in New York City and Philadelphia, two cities with a significant population of Jewish immigrants from Poland. In the late 19th century, lox was a common food sold by street vendors from pushcarts. Since the fish was very salty, it was eaten with bagels and cream cheese to balance out the taste.

Around 1900, the “bagel brunch” gained popularity in New York City. It consisted of a bagel topped with cream cheese, lox, tomato, red onion, and capers. By the mid-20th century, the lox and schmear became a staple at Jewish delis. Today, the dish is considered part of American culture.

National Bagel and Lox Day was originally known simply as National Bagel Day. In 2018, Thomas’, a brand of bagels owned by Bimbo Bakeries USA, decided to move National Bagel Day from February 9 to January 15 to avoid competition with National Pizza Day. Despite the change, many people continued to celebrate bagels on February 9 under a new name, National Bagel and Lox Day.

How to celebrate National Bagel and Lox Day? Of course, by eating a delicious bagel with cream cheese and lox for breakfast or brunch. You can get it from a deli or buy the ingredients at a grocery store and make the sandwich yourself at home.