National Bagel and Lox Day is celebrated on February 9 to recognize a popular Jewish-American bagel combination. Bagel is a type of bread that is made by boiling and baking to create a soft inside and crispy outside. The bread has a ring shape with a hole at the center that makes it easier to cook. It is famously served with Lox and schmear — cream cheese. The bread originated in Poland during the 17th century and was introduced to America by the Jews many years later. Today, the bagel market is producing billions of dollars each year for the U.S.
History of National Bagel and Lox Day
The earliest reference to bagel bread was made in an Arabic cookbook in the 13th century. The book described a bread that was boiled then baked just as bagels are made today. Today, we know that bagels are linked to the Jewish community from Poland in the 17th century and lox emerging from Scandinavian fishermen who preserved salmon in saltwater brine.
Bagels and Lox are a scrumptious combination that is usually served for breakfast or brunch. The combination was made famous by Jewish immigrants in New York City. The famous American wheat bread is made into a ring shape to allow better cooking and transportation to stores. The bread offers a soft-chewy texture due to being boiled then baked. Bakers can pack the bread effortlessly by putting a string or rope through the hole in the center of the bread.
The word ‘lox’ is derived from the Yiddish word ‘laks,’ which translates to ‘salmon.’ The U.S. recognizes lox as thinly sliced salmon that has been cured and brined. Bagels and lox are served together with cream cheese — popularly called ‘schmear’ which translates to ‘spread’ in German. Bagels and lox are served as a sandwich famously emerging in the mid-1800s. During this time, barrels of salted salmon were transported to the East Coast making the dish popular.
In 2018, a division of Bimbo Bakeries in the U.S. had taken it upon themselves to move the National Bagel and Lox day from February 9 to January 15. They claimed that National Pizza Day and National Bagel and Lox Day occurred on the same day and moving them apart would avoid the competition. Even with their efforts, many people chose to observe the holiday on its original date.
National Bagel and Lox Day timeline
The first mention of bagels comes from an Arabic cookbook.
Jewish immigrants land in New York City, bringing the bread with them.
Schmear becomes a popular spread due to it being transported in abundance to the East Coast.
A division of Bimbo Bakeries makes an effort to change the date so as to make space for another loved holiday.
National Bagel and Lox Day FAQs
What kind of flour do you need for making bagels?
You can use unbleached bread flour, which contains more gluten than all-purpose flour to make your bagels.
What is lox made of?
Lox is simply salmon preserved with salt. It is obtained from the fatty middle section of a salmon and is made by covering the flesh of the fresh fish in salt or brined in saltwater.
Are bagels eaten hot or cold?
Bagels are best eaten warm, as their insides get tough once they get cold. You can toast your bagel before eating it or better still go for a freshly baked bagel.
National Bagel and Lox Day Activities
Get different tastes
Get to eat your bagels and lox in various ways. Try out bagels with lox and cream cheese with different toppings. You could find a new favorite.
Be the chef
How about you make the delightful sandwich yourself at home. Some cream cheese, a bagel, some lox, a slice of tomato or onion, and voilà, you've created a taste of magic.
Enjoy with pals
Invite friends to enjoy the day with you. You could stop by your favorite bagel shop and give them treats or you could host them, either way, make sure they're enjoying the day as much as you are.
5 Amazing Facts About Bagels And Lox
Bagels are shaped like the torus
The bagel has a very significant shape in the topic of geometry and topology in mathematics — the torus.
Lox is Yiddish
The word ‘Lox’ is Yiddish and means ‘salmon.’
Bagels are boiled
Bagels are boiled then baked, creating a soft inside while retaining a crisp exterior.
Billions are spent on Bagels
In the U.S., over a billion dollars are spent on bagels annually.
What is lox?
Lox is thinly sliced smoked salmon.
Why We Love National Bagel and Lox Day
Bagels and lox make a delicious treat
Bagels are baked to a crisp, golden glow on the outside and then warm and chewy on the inside, combined with lox, a spread, and toppings; this makes a delicious treat!
They are healthy
When eaten moderately, bagels and lox make a healthy delicacy as the lox contains Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin B, and numerous minerals.
They're for everyone
Vegan or not, bagels can be enjoyed. They're still delicious and very much loved by all.
National Bagel and Lox Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | February 9 | Sunday |
| 2026 | February 9 | Monday |
| 2027 | February 9 | Tuesday |
| 2028 | February 9 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | February 9 | Friday |
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