- Categories:
- Food & Beverage
- Tags:
- CookingFoodMexican food
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every October 4
- Holiday emoji:
- 🌮
National Taco Day celebrates the beloved taco every October 4. This festive day is a concentrated version of ‘Taco Tuesdays,’ inviting everyone to indulge in their favorite fillings and discover new variations. Grab some tortillas and stuff them with savory delights, from traditional carne asada to exotic fish tacos, and join the nationwide celebration.
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Expected National Taco Day Deals
While we await official 2027 promotions to drop, history shows that National Taco Day brings a fiesta of deals. Expect major chains like Taco Bell, Del Taco, and Chipotle to offer discounted or free tacos with purchase. Regional favorites such as Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Rubio’s Coastal Grill, and Chronic Tacos often roll out specials like $1.50 tacos or buy-one-get-one offers. Even sit-down restaurants like Chuy’s and On The Border participate with special pricing on their signature tacos and drink pairings. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as October 4 approaches.
Platform Guide for National Taco Day
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #NationalTacoDay. Share your most creative taco recipes or a ‘taco tour’ of your city’s best spots.
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalTacoDay. Post vibrant photos of your taco spread, from gourmet to street style, and ask followers for their favorite fillings.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #NationalTacoDay. Share local taco deals, organize a virtual taco cook-off, or poll your friends on hard vs. soft shells.
National Taco Day Hero
Ignacio Anaya García
History of National Taco Day
The anthropologist and historian Arturo Warman (1937 — 2003) specialized in prehistoric Mexican culture for much of his career, and was cited as saying that it was the Aztecs and Mayans who hybridized wild grasses beginning around 3,000 BC to produce the large, nutritious kernels we now know as corn. At National Today, we feel fine marking that time as the true beginning of the taco as a foodstuff, because the corn tortilla became such a versatile part of Mexican cuisine so quickly, spreading far and wide and only increasing in the number of its aficionados, some of whose descendants are of course the taco-loving foodies of today.
We’re not sure if the calendar day was October 4 that conquistador Hernando Cortez mentioned the native flatbread “tlaxcalli” in a letter to Spain’s King Charles V, but the year was 1520 and it was then that Cortez and his fellows dubbed the food “tortilla.”
From that point forward, it was inevitable that advances in both culinary science and communications would bring the taco exploding onto dining-room tables across the globe. By 1914, Californian cookbooks had begun to include taco recipes. In the following decades, the taco has fully lived up to its definition (akin to the generic term “sandwich”) and became nearly ubiquitous. We don’t have a single complaint.
National Taco Day timeline
The popular cookbook “Ramona’s Spanish-Mexican Cookery” is published and contains six taco-related recipes, including one for pork tacos and one for gorditas from Santa Nita.
Taco Bell is founded, leading to the availability of tacos and other Mexican-American meals in American regions that otherwise may have had to wait much longer.
Ralph Rubio of San Diego, CA, opens Rubio’s, specializing in fish tacos made from a recipe he borrowed from a Baja native named Carlos, and California falls in love with “Ensenada.”
NBA star LeBron James attempts to trademark the use of the term “Taco Tuesday,” which is a tradition in his family, as used in electronic communications like podcasts and social media, but his application is denied by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, who call “Taco Tuesday” a “commonplace term.”
National Taco Day - Survey Results
National Taco Day FAQs
When is National Taco Day?
National Taco Day 2026 falls on Sunday, October 4, offering a perfect weekend opportunity to indulge in your favorite Mexican-inspired dish. This annual celebration is a fantastic excuse to gather friends and family for a taco feast.
How many tacos are consumed in the U.S. annually?
Americans consume over 4.5 billion tacos each year, a testament to the dish’s immense popularity. This incredible number highlights the taco’s status as a beloved staple in the American diet, from street food to gourmet creations.
What is the origin of the word 'taco'?
Many culinary historians believe the word ‘taco’ derives from the Spanish word ‘ataco,’ meaning ‘to stuff.’ This etymology perfectly describes the essence of a taco: a tortilla stuffed with a variety of delicious fillings, a practice dating back centuries.
Is National Taco Day a federal holiday?
No, National Taco Day is not a federal holiday, meaning government offices and banks remain open. It is a cultural observance celebrated by food enthusiasts and restaurants nationwide, focusing on culinary enjoyment rather than official recognition.
National Taco Day Activities
Go out to your local taqueria, Mexican restaurant, or Taco Bell
You’ll be amazed at the various locations you’ll find nearby. Walk in and enjoy a finely crafted taco at your fingertips.
Create your own taco
Choose from one of the many taco recipes to be found online, go to your grocery store to buy the ingredients, and get down to business! Most importantly, make those tacos with love. A taco press and a deep fryer go a long way in making your National Taco Day efficient, as well.
Give the gift of tacos
Yes, we said it. Give a taco (or three) to a loved one, friend, or even a complete stranger you pass on the street. Together we’ll make the world a better place, one taco at a time. Vive la revolucion!
5 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT CORN TORTILLAS
Caribbean corn?
The word “maize” was first used by the Taino peoples indigenous to the Antilles and the Bahamas, though technically their word was “mahiz” and only changed to “maize” when adopted by Spanish explorers.
“Get your motor running …”
A popular use of the earlier gas-powered engines and electric motors was to grind grain for “masa,” the dough or paste that was then flattened into tortillas.
Even if you’re skeptical of the popular
Though there are fluctuations in the market involving more variables than we can list here, it’s Mission that is the top-selling tortilla brand in the U.S., out of about 450 distinct vendors.
Uno mas, por favor…
In terms of tortilla consumption, the typical Mexican family of four eats more than two pounds of tortillas per day (imagine holding a single tortilla in one hand, and eight sticks [two pounds] of butter or margarine in the other, and compare).
The market is anything but “flat”
As of August, 2019, the tortilla-production industry employed over 21,000 people in the United States alone.
Why We Love National Taco Day
Tacos are a taste like no other
Looking to have your mind blown? The possibilities are endless when you create your own combination of meats, cheese, vegetables, seasonings and sauces and have your taco your own way. Yes, please!
Carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore, you’re covered
While some people love sitting down and taking their time to enjoy a great taco, others simply have a fast-paced lifestyle. For those who are always on the go, tacos are always a great idea.
Tacos are the ultimate comfort food
It's hard not to get excited for those crisp shells or soft, warm wraps filled with goodness. Tacos can be big or small, spicy or sweet, plus they can be crafted to fit any taste. Vegetarian, vegan, kosher, lactose-intolerant, gluten free — there’s a taco made for you.
National Taco Day Featured Video
Celebrate National Taco Day!
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