Did you know there’s a day to celebrate Hawaiian pizza?

At the peak of all food debates sits Hawaiian pizza.

 

For some, it’s the perfect harmony of sweet and salty. For others, it’s pure blasphemy against pizza. Rarely does a dish divide opinions so sharply.

 

But did you know there’s an actual day dedicated to Hawaiian pizza? Yes — International Hawaiian Pizza Day really exists.

 

And it falls every year on August 20.

 

You may wonder, “Who on earth came up with this, and why?”

 

Well, it’s not an official holiday declared by the UN or any government.

 

Sam Panopoulos(1934~2017) / www.washingtonpost.com

 

Instead, it marks the birthday of Sam Panopoulos, the creator of Hawaiian pizza.

 

That’s right — it’s an “internet holiday” created by pineapple pizza lovers around the world, celebrating their bold taste and honoring their (somewhat controversial) founder.

 

 

Every August 20, social media fills with snapshots of pizzas topped with bright yellow pineapple, hashtagged and proudly shared. It’s a cheerful festival of “pineapple comrades” worldwide, enjoying the very pizza that even Iceland’s president once wanted to ban.

 

So, if you’ve got a friend who yells, “Pineapple on pizza is a crime!” — just remind them on August 20. There’s even a day to celebrate that “crime.”