When is National Popcorn Day?
National Popcorn Day 2027 is on Tuesday
Tuesday, January 19, 2027
January 19 every year. That's in 106 days.
until National Popcorn Day begins, in your time zone
National Popcorn Day celebrates popcorn, the whole-grain snack made from a kind of corn whose kernels burst open when heated. The Popcorn Board, the US industry's federally supervised promotion program, encourages people to mark it with recipes and classroom activities.
About National Popcorn Day
Popcorn is one of the oldest snack foods in the Americas. The Popcorn Board notes that the oldest known ears of popping corn were found in Bat Cave in west central New Mexico in 1948 and 1950 and are about 4,000 years old. Spanish accounts from the 1500s describe the Aztecs using popped corn in religious ceremonies and as decoration. In the United States, popcorn was even eaten as a breakfast cereal in the late 1800s and early 1900s before becoming the snack people now link with movies and ball games.
No founder or founding year for National Popcorn Day is documented. Today the day is promoted mainly by the Popcorn Board, which is made up of popcorn companies. It operates as a research and promotion program under the supervision of the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service, and its job is to keep and grow markets for popcorn. The board also promotes October as National Popcorn Poppin' Month, timed to the harvest.
The board's suggestions for the January date lean toward home cooking and schools: trying new sweet and savory recipes, and classroom activities such as guessing the number of kernels in a jar or writing a short poem about popping corn. The day has no official government status.
Sources: The Popcorn Board: National Popcorn Day, The Popcorn Board: History of Popcorn, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service: Popcorn Board. How we check dates.
How to mark National Popcorn Day
- Pop kernels on the stove in a heavy pot with a little oil, and compare the taste and texture with microwave popcorn.
- Try a savory seasoning you haven't used before, such as smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, or parmesan with black pepper.
- With kids, fill a jar with kernels and have everyone guess the count, or string popped corn into a garland to hang outside for birds.
- Learn why popcorn pops: each kernel holds a little water that turns to steam and bursts the hard hull when heated.
- Look for popcorn grown and sold by a farm in your region, and try heirloom varieties with different kernel colors.
National Popcorn Day dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Sunday, January 19, 2025 |
| 2026 | Monday, January 19, 2026 |
| 2027 | Tuesday, January 19, 2027 |
| 2028 | Wednesday, January 19, 2028 |
| 2029 | Friday, January 19, 2029 |
| 2030 | Saturday, January 19, 2030 |
| 2031 | Sunday, January 19, 2031 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is National Popcorn Day 2027?
National Popcorn Day 2027 is on Tuesday, January 19, 2027. It falls on January 19 every year. In 2028, it is on Wednesday, January 19, 2028.
Who started National Popcorn Day?
No founder is documented. The Popcorn Board, the US popcorn industry's promotion program, is the main organization that promotes it today.
Is there a popcorn month too?
Yes. The Popcorn Board promotes October as National Popcorn Poppin' Month, which falls during the popcorn harvest.
Is National Popcorn Day a public holiday?
No. National Popcorn Day is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.