National Crawfish Day – Apr. 17, 2027

Expected National Crawfish Day Deals

As National Crawfish Day approaches each April 17, enthusiasts eagerly await promotions from seafood restaurants and grocery stores. In previous years, major chains like Ragin’ Cajun Cafe and local seafood markets have offered discounted crawfish boils and special combo platters. Grocery retailers such as H-E-B and Kroger often feature sales on live crawfish, seasoning, and boil kits, making it easier for home cooks to host their own feasts. Expect specialty shops like Louisiana Crawfish Company to provide shipping deals on fresh, live crawfish. Fast-casual eateries with a Southern flair, like Boil & Roux, may also roll out limited-time crawfish dishes. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as April 17 approaches.

History of National Crawfish Day

Although crawfish have a long history spanning many periods and civilizations, some of the oldest accounts of their existence and consumption date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the crawfish’s history in America, reeds coated with deer meat served as the first fishing lure used by Native Americans to catch crawfish. The Houma Tribe of Native Americans is said to have employed a red crawfish as their emblem as early as the 17th century, representing the aggressive crawfish that lifts its claw in defense rather than retreating.

The Acadians, or Cajuns, as they are now known, arrived from Canada in the 1700s and settled along the bayous in what is now the Southern United States. Consuming crawfish at the time was primarily driven by necessity because it was so affordable and accessible. By the 1800s, the Acadians had started adapting traditional Canadian lobster recipes to the much smaller cousin of crustaceans, the crawfish. According to documents from the Louisiana Office of Tourism, “Creole restaurateurs in New Orleans caught on, and once it took off in the Big Easy, the secret was out: crawfish became synonymous with Louisiana food.”

The Louisiana spring custom of crawfish boils emerged in the 1900s, along with other aspects of the great cultural change. The crawfish was designated as Louisiana’s official crustacean by the state government in the year 1980. Red swamp and white river crawfish are the two principal species taken in Louisiana’s annual 100 million pound crawfish production.

How Businesses Can Celebrate National Crawfish Day