Happy National Doughnut Day

If you celebrated National Running Day on Wednesday, then you've earned the right to really wile out on National Doughnut Day. Why is the first Friday in June different from all other days? On this day, donuts are free at Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme, as well as scores of local donut purveyors. Better than Pancake Tuesday?! You be the judge.

As frivolous as it sounds, National Doughnut Day actually has its roots on the battlefields of WWI. Salvation Army "lassies" who were sent to the front lines of the war to provide food and moral support for the troops would often bring dough that could be cooked in oil right in a soldier's helmet. American infantrymen were known as "doughboys," and the women are sometimes referred to as "doughnut girls." Now you know!

Via Metafilter