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National Hotdog Day Facts

National Hotdog Day Facts
In 1957 the month of July was officially proclaimed Hotdog Month, but it wasn't until 1972 that Hot Dog Day was established by two students in the village of Alfred, in New York. In Alfred, students at Alfred University celebrate Hot Dog Day on the third Saturday in April. But this is not the same day as National Hot Dog Day which is celebrated across the country. In the United States National Hot Dog Day falls on July 23rd each summer. On National Hot Dog Day a variety of events are held across the United States, most of them including the consumption of hot dogs in some way. Many events are held as an opportunity to raise money for different charities.
Interesting National Hotdog Day Facts:
Hot Dog Day in Alfred, New York, was established by students Eric Vaughn and Mark O'Meara in 1972.
The first words ever spoken aloud by Walt Disney's cartoon character Mickey Mouse were, "Hot dogs." The cartoon was called 'The Carnival Kid' and it was created in 1929.
In 1901 a sports cartoonist named Tad Dorgan coined the term 'hot dog'. Tad Dorgan heard sausage vendors selling 'dachshund sausages' in rolls (sausage on a bun) at a baseball game at the Polo Grounds in New York. He drew a comic but couldn't spell 'dachshund' so he called them 'hot dogs'.
It is estimated that every American consumes approximately 60 hot dogs each year.
It is estimated that from Memorial Day in the United States to Labor Day, more than seven billion hot dogs are consumed. It is estimated that approximately 20 billion hot dogs are consumed every year in the United States.
It is estimated that on the July 4th long weekend more than 155 million hot dogs are consumed in the United States.
The July 4th weekend is the biggest hot dog consumption day of the year in the United States.
A hot dog can contain up to 3.5% of non-meat ingredients, by law. The non-meat ingredients are usually soy or milk products that contain some nutritional value.
Hot dogs tend to be a good source of iron and protein but are also high in sodium and fat.
The most popular condiments people use on hot dogs are ketchup and mustard but some children actually prefer chocolate sauce.
Popular Hot Dog Day activities include wiener dog races, hot dog eating contests, live music and concerts, barbecues, picnics, and socials.
There is an annual Hot Dog Lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the American Meat Institute. The hot dogs are served from hot dog carts and more than 1,000 lobbyists, journalists, administration personnel and members of the United States Congress attend the event.
The Boston Hot Dog Safari is a charity event held in Boston each year to raise money for cystic fibrosis cure research.
In Canada there are a variety of events for Canada Hot Dog Day each year.
Hot dogs have existed in a variety of forms since the late 1800s. They are also referred to as frankfurters, red hots, dogs, franks, and wieners.


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