- Categories:
- Relationship
- Tags:
- CrazyFunLove
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- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every July 19
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- 🥓
Flitch Day, celebrated every July 19, revives an ancient custom where married couples proved their fidelity for a flitch of bacon. This quirky tradition, though rarely practiced today, reminds us of the importance of lasting love and commitment. Challenge your partner to a fun fidelity test, share a bacon-themed meal, or simply appreciate the enduring bonds in your life.
Want to sponsor Flitch Day? Learn how
Expected Flitch Day Deals
While official 2027 promotions for Flitch Day are still to be announced, history suggests a focus on bacon and romantic gestures. Look for specialty butcher shops to offer discounts on quality bacon, while grocery stores like Kroger and Publix might feature sales on various pork products. Restaurants, particularly breakfast diners and gastropubs, could introduce limited-time bacon-centric dishes. Brands like Oscar Mayer and Hormel may run social media contests or giveaways tied to the holiday. Gift retailers such as Hallmark might promote cards and small tokens of affection for couples. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as July 19 approaches.
Platform Guide for Flitch Day
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #FlitchDay. Share photos of your favorite bacon dishes or creative ways you’re celebrating enduring love with your partner.
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #FlitchDay. Film a fun skit recreating the ancient Flitch Trials or a ‘fidelity challenge’ with your spouse.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #FlitchDay. Share stories of lasting love, old wedding photos, or your best bacon recipes with your community.
Flitch Day Hero
Robert de Fitzwalter
History of Flitch Day
While the exact origins of Flitch Day remain unknown, we do know the original tradition started in 1104, when Reginald Fitzwalter and his wife, the lord and lady of a manor, disguised themselves as commoners and sought the blessing of the prior at the local priory for their marriage. Impressed with their devotion to each other, the prior gave them a flitch of bacon.
This gave rise to the custom in which married couples were awarded a flitch of bacon if they did not regret their marriage after a year and a day. The couple would undergo a mock trial to prove their love and, if they succeeded, they were awarded a flitch of bacon — about half a pig. This custom took place in Wychnor, Staffordshire, and Little Dunmow in England.
In Little Dunmow, married couples would prove that neither one of them regretted their marriage in the previous year and a day and then would kneel in the churchyard on two hard and pointed stones. They would proceed to take an oath in front of monks and the town inhabitants. Once they succeeded, they were awarded a flitch of bacon and paraded around the town. This custom went on till the mid-18th century. Now, the flitch trials, organized by the Dunmow Flitch Trials Committee, are still held in Great Dunmow, England, but only in a leap year. It is said that Little Dunmow is the only location to have preserved this custom to date. Although the custom made its way into the United States by colonists, it did not survive for a long time.
The celebrations for National Flitch Day do not involve a trial and are just a reminder and acknowledgment of the tradition.
Flitch Day timeline
The custom is mentioned in “The Canterbury Tales.”
Sir Thomas May revives the tradition when he becomes the owner of a priory.
The last successful claim for a flitch of bacon is made
William Harrison Ainsworth writes a novel “The Flitch Of Bacon” that calls for a revival of the custom.
How Businesses Can Celebrate Flitch Day
Local businesses can embrace Flitch Day with creative, fun promotions. Restaurants and diners could feature special ‘Flitch Day platters’ with extra bacon or offer a ‘couples’ fidelity challenge’ where pairs answer trivia for a discount. Butcher shops can highlight premium bacon cuts and offer pairing suggestions. Gift shops might curate small, humorous gifts for couples, playing on the theme of enduring love and bacon. Social media campaigns encouraging customers to share their ‘love stories’ or favorite bacon recipes can also boost engagement.
Flitch Day FAQs
When is Flitch Day?
Flitch Day 2026 falls on Sunday, July 19. This annual observance honors an ancient tradition of marital fidelity, making it a perfect day for a special Sunday brunch with your loved one.
What is a 'flitch' of bacon?
Historically, a ‘flitch’ refers to a side of bacon, often cured and smoked. In the context of Flitch Day, it was the prize awarded to married couples who could prove their unwavering fidelity and love for a year and a day.
How old is the Flitch Day tradition?
The tradition of the Dunmow Flitch Trials, from which Flitch Day originates, dates back to at least the 12th century, with some accounts placing its origins even earlier. It’s one of England’s oldest surviving customs.
Are the Dunmow Flitch Trials still held?
Yes, the Dunmow Flitch Trials are still held in Great Dunmow, Essex, England, typically every four years. Couples must present themselves before a jury of six maidens and six bachelors to prove their fidelity.
Flitch Day Activities
Read “The Flitch of Bacon”
On National Flitch Day, read “The Flitch of Bacon'' by William Harrison Ainsworth. It will help you immerse yourself in the history of the tradition and learn more about it. You can then even share this knowledge with your folks and friends and spread awareness of this day.
Gift a slab of bacon
Since the day celebrates an old custom of gifting a slab of bacon to a married couple, you could do so yourself. If you have friends who are married and they have reached a year and a day of their marriage, gift them a slab of bacon to celebrate. You can even make it fun by hosting a contest in which they can rightfully win the bacon.
Attend the Dunmow Flitch Trials
This event generally takes place during leap years, so you can plan your dates accordingly. Whenever there is a leap year, you can attend the Dunmow Flitch Trials and see married couples winning a slab of bacon.
5 Interesting Facts About Bacon That Will Blow Your Mind
The first cooked salted pork bellies
The Chinese first started cooking salted pork bellies and the salt helped to preserve the meat so it could be eaten all year
Bacon is addictive
Bacon is packed with a compound that produces a pleasing neurochemical response when you eat it, making it addictive.
American breakfast
In the U.S., 70% of all bacon is eaten at breakfast
Gateway food for vegetarians
Bacon is often regarded as the gateway food for vegetarians.
World record for eating the most bacon
An American man Matt Stonie holds the world record for eating the most bacon — 182 slices in five minutes at an event in Daytona Florida.
Why We Love Flitch Day
It celebrates a tradition
National Flitch Day essentially celebrates an age-old tradition in which a married couple was awarded a flitch of bacon after a year and a day of their marriage. This day celebrates culture and custom, and it’s important to expand our knowledge about our history and pass that knowledge down through generations.
It celebrates a favorite food item
Bacon is loved by millions of people across the globe and people swear by it. While National Flitch Day celebrates a tradition, it also encourages us to celebrate a beloved food item
It celebrates marriage
The flitch tradition is essentially for married couples and National Flitch Day celebrates that. It celebrates the sacred bond of marriage and encourages people to honor the commitment they made to their significant other.
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