When is National Sandwich Day?
National Sandwich Day 2026 is on Tuesday
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
November 3 every year. That's in 17 days.
until National Sandwich Day begins, in your time zone
National Sandwich Day is an informal US food holiday for the sandwich, the portable meal of a filling between slices of bread that took its English name from John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, in the 1760s.
About National Sandwich Day
People ate food between or on top of bread long before the 1700s, but the word sandwich is English and fairly recent. It honors John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, a British politician who twice served as first lord of the Admiralty. The best-known story comes from the French writer Pierre-Jean Grosley, who described an unnamed minister spending 24 hours at a London gaming table with nothing to eat but beef between slices of toast. Britannica notes that historians widely treat that anecdote as doubtful, though the name stuck. One of the earliest written uses of the word in its food sense is in Edward Gibbon's journal for November 24, 1762, which describes men at a London club supping on cold meat or a sandwich.
The November 3 date is usually explained as the earl's birthday. Sources differ on that point: Britannica gives his birth date as November 13, 1718, while other references give November 3. No founder or founding year for the observance itself is documented, and it has no government status.
In the United States the day has become popular with sandwich shops and delis, and local news outlets cover it each year. Some of that coverage adds healthy-eating advice; a FOX 32 Chicago report, for example, passed on the American Heart Association's tip of making sandwiches open-faced to cut down on sodium.
Sources: Britannica: John Montagu, 4th earl of Sandwich (archived), PBS Food: Discover the History of the Sandwich (Tori Avey, 2013), FOX 32 Chicago: Tuesday is National Sandwich Day. How we check dates.
How to mark National Sandwich Day
- Make a sandwich from your family's heritage, such as a banh mi, a Cuban, a torta, a smørrebrød or a muffuletta.
- Bake your own bread for the day, or buy a loaf from a local bakery instead of the supermarket.
- Pack and hand out sandwiches with a local shelter or community kitchen that serves lunch.
- Try an open-faced sandwich topped with vegetables and a little cheese or fish for a lighter lunch.
- Host a sandwich swap at work where everyone brings one kind cut into small portions to share.
National Sandwich Day dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Monday, November 3, 2025 |
| 2026 | Tuesday, November 3, 2026 |
| 2027 | Wednesday, November 3, 2027 |
| 2028 | Friday, November 3, 2028 |
| 2029 | Saturday, November 3, 2029 |
| 2030 | Sunday, November 3, 2030 |
| 2031 | Monday, November 3, 2031 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is National Sandwich Day 2026?
National Sandwich Day 2026 is on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. It falls on November 3 every year. In 2027, it is on Wednesday, November 3, 2027.
Did the Earl of Sandwich invent the sandwich?
No. Bread with fillings is much older, but the English name comes from John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. The famous story of him eating beef between bread at a gaming table is widely considered doubtful.
Why is National Sandwich Day on November 3?
The date is usually linked to the Earl of Sandwich's birthday. Sources disagree, though: Britannica gives his birth date as November 13, 1718.
Is National Sandwich Day a public holiday?
No. National Sandwich Day is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.