International Chicken Wing Day is celebrated each year on July 1. This day recognizes every type of chicken wing, whether it is buffalo wings or different sauce varieties such as barbeque, ranch, garlic, or parmesan — the list is endless. It strives to give importance to chicken wings of all shapes, sizes, flavors, types. What’s most important is that you have a bucket of chicken wings ready to be indulged in on this day.
History of International Chicken Wing Day
Believe it or not, Americans have been celebrating a day dedicated to Chicken Wings for over four decades! The former mayor of Buffalo, Stan Makowski, officially declared International Chicken Wing Day back in 1977.
Many refer to chicken wings as ‘Buffalo wings’ as Buffalo was the city of the original invention of this lip-smacking dish. The actual birthplace of these Buffalo wings was Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. The son of the bar’s founder, Teressa Bellissimo, wanted to treat his friends to a late-night fried dish. He air-fried the wings reserved for soup stock and mixed them with a yummy sauce — and this led to the creation of the modern-day Buffalo wings. However, on International Chicken Wing Day, the limelight is on all kinds of wings.
Chicken wings are perfect when they are crispy on the outside with the meat inside cooked all the way through while retaining its juices. The most important element is the sauce, with hot sauce bringing out that heat and sweet sauces being full of flavor. They are even served with celery, carrots, or other crunchy veggies to provide a balanced taste palate.
Chicken wings have gained exponential popularity with chicken wing festivals mushrooming almost everywhere. The National Buffalo Wing Festival remains the most famous event. Several years after the inception of these chicken wings, McDonald’s, followed by KFC and Domino’s Pizza, introduced their own hot wings.
Now Chicken Wings are not just eaten in the U.S. but in all parts of the world such as Canada, India, Mexico, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and many more. Who wouldn’t want an entire day dedicated to this dish that makes us salivate as soon we hear the name!
International Chicken Wing Day timeline
A bar owner takes some leftover chicken wings, air-fries them, and tosses them in a secret sauce, giving birth to the modern-day Buffalo wings.
John Young starts selling chicken wings at his restaurant called Wings and Things in New York.
With chicken wings already famous, Buffalo wings also become popular in the U.S.
Chicago's Patrick Bertoletti sets a record by eating 444 chicken wings in 26 minutes at Wing Bowl.
International Chicken Wing Day FAQs
What is the hottest chicken wing in the world?
Made from the infamous world’s hottest chili, the Carolina Reaper, these chicken wings are said to be 230 times spicier than a jalapeño pepper.
Is there a difference between chicken wings and Buffalo wings?
Chicken wings refer to the chicken wing part from joints up to the tip of the wings. Buffalo wings are a portion of the chicken wings that are made of smaller drumette pieces and wingettes.
Who invented International Chicken Wing Day?
This fun food holiday was invented by the former mayor of Buffalo, Stan Makowski. Chicken wings are consumed in such large quantities now and have become a go-to favorite snack option.
International Chicken Wing Day Activities
Share a gigantic bucket of chicken wings
Dish up a gigantic bucket of chicken wings and share them with your friends and family on International Chicken Wing Day. Have a fun competition on who can finish the maximum number of wings in a set time. Go all out on this fun food holiday.
Attend the National Buffalo Wing Festival
A festival held on Labor Day weekend in Downtown Buffalo, New York, the National Buffalo Day Wing Festival is quite famous. They celebrate the Buffalo-style chicken wing. Head there with a large appetite and indulge in a food fiesta!
Visit Anchor Bar in Buffalo
Anchor Bar in Buffalo is known as the home of the Buffalo wing. Plan a trip to visit the bar and order a bucket or two of their trademark Buffalo chicken wings.
5 Delicious Chicken Wing Facts
Americans eat a lot of chicken wings
Americans eat about 30 billion chicken wings on average every year.
Super Bowl Sunday
This is the biggest day for eating chicken wings and over 1.25 billion wings are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday alone each year.
Used as soup stock
Before the invention of chicken wings as a meal in themselves, they were used as soup stock.
Anchor Bar sells a whopping amount of wings
The home of Buffalo wings sells more than 70,000 pounds of chicken wings per month.
Capsaicin in the hot sauce
The peppers used to make the hot sauce contain capsaicin, and the more the capsaicin, the hotter the pepper and the hotter the sauce.
Why We Love International Chicken Wing Day
It can be eaten with a variety of sauces
Chicken wings are often synonymous with the name ‘hot wings’ as people eat them with a hot sauce. However, now there are plenty of sauces one can choose from. They can also be eaten with ranch dressing, which is quite popular. Another go-to dip is blue cheese.
They’re easy to make
Chicken wings are easy to make and not time-consuming at all. The total preparation time is up to an hour. Once you have your delicious wings ready, you can dig right in.
They’re very popular
Chicken wings are super popular as they have so many flavors and textures. They are a perfect addition to any party or potluck. Everyone will be left wanting more. They are even easily available at stores and you can pick your favorite ones and savor every bite.
International Chicken Wing Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | July 1 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | July 1 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | July 1 | Thursday |
| 2028 | July 1 | Saturday |
| 2029 | July 1 | Sunday |
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