NATIONAL COLD CUTS DAY
Dagwood will eat his heart out on March 3rd because it’s National Cold Cuts Day. Call them lunch meats, deli meats, sandwich meats, or cold cuts. Some like them thick, while others stack them a mile high. Others still just like them with cheese and crackers. However you like them, National Cold Cuts Day was made for sandwich and snack makers.
#NationalColdCutsDay
There are the deli staples like the humble turkey and ham. Then there are the culinary delights like salami and prosciutto and flavors that require a more acquired taste like head cheese and braunschweiger. Whatever your taste, there is a cold cut for everyone. Well, everyone except the vegetarian.
Every nationality has a flavor all its own when it comes to seasoning, curing, and aging a variety of meats. Spices, smoking, and time alter the taste. When the animal is butchered, temperature and air circulation affect the flavor, too.
It’s essentially an art history lesson all rolled into one, and at the end of it all, there’s mouth-watering food that can be enjoyed with friends and a good beverage.
Or, it’s merely a piece of meat meant to make a meal. Breaking bread with friends sounds so much more delightful, though.
Bologna is one of the most popular cold cuts in the United States due to a famous commercial. Named after the Italian city of the same name, bologna is similar to an Italian sausage called Mortadella.
Other popular cuts are chicken, roast beef, pastrami, corned beef, and pepperoni.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL COLD CUTS DAY
- Visit a local deli for your favorite cold cuts.
- With so many options, be sure to try something new.
- Challenge friends to a sandwich-making contest.
- Use #NationalColdCutsDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL COLD CUTS DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar continues researching the origin of this meat lovers’ holiday.
Cold Cut FAQ
Q. Is meatloaf a cold cut?
A. Can it be served cold? Yes. Can it be served sliced? Yes. Therefore, meatloaf meets the definition of cold cut.
Q. Can cold cuts be served hot?
A. Yes. Pile those cold cuts onto a bun, layer some melty cheese on top of the meat, spread a little mustard or horseradish. Toast it up and your cold-cut sandwich transforms into hot lunch.
March 3rd Celebrated History
1845
For the first time, Congress overrides a presidential veto. Outgoing President John Tyler vetoed an appropriations bill from Congress. It wasn’t Tyler’s first use of his veto powers. At the time, only one other president use the veto more and that was Andrew Jackson. (Since then, presidents have found their veto stride.) On the last day of the Congressional session, Congress used its power to override the veto for the first time.
1879
After graduating from law school in 1873, Belva Lockwood lobbied to be admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court bar. It wasn’t until March 3, 1879, that she would become the first woman admitted to appear before the Supreme Court.
1923
Time Magazines publishes its first issue.
1931
President Herbert Hoover signs a Congressional resolution making the “Star-Spangled Banner” the national anthem of the United States. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order designating the song written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 as the country’s national song and the U.S. Navy had long honored the song.
March 3rd Celebrated Birthdays
George Pullman – 1831
All aboard!! The innovator of the industrial age developed luxurious passenger cars. Pullman also created company towns and under his watch union strikes broke out during one of the country’s worst depressions.
Chief Joseph – 1840
Born Hin-mah-too-ya-lat-kekt, or Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain, Joseph became Chief of the Nez Perce in 1871 following the death of his father. At the time, the federal government was making efforts to remove the Nez Perce from the Wallowa Valley in northeastern Oregon to land in Idaho. Chief Joseph is best known for being a part of the resistance that lasted months and gained the respect of military leaders, despite its failure and his uncertain role as the leader.
Alexander Graham Bell – 1847
“Mr. Watson. Come here. I want to see you.” “E.T. phone home.” “Can you hear me now?” All these sentences connect us to one invention. While the Scottish-born inventor patented the telephone, his interests were broad including medical research and aeronautics.
Patricia MacLachlan – 1938
The award-winning American children’s author is best known for her novel Sarah, Plain and Tall.
Herschel Walker – 1962
The multi-talented American athlete won the 1982 Heisman Trophy. His 16-year professional football career was split between the United States Football League (USFL) and the National Football League (NFL). Between the two leagues, the running back accumulated a combined 13,787 rushing yards.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee – 1962
One of track and field’s greatest athletes, Joyner-Kersee has collected three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals. She appeared in her first Olympic games in 1984 in Los Angeles, winning silver in the heptathlon. Four years later, Joyner-Kersee brought home two golds, conquering the heptathlon and the long jump at Seoul. In 1992 in Barcelona, she repeated her win in the heptathlon and brought home bronze in the long jump. In her final appearance at the Atlanta games in 1996, Joyner-Kersee won her final medal, the bronze in the long jump.
Notable Mentions
Ruby Dandridge – 1902
Jean Harlow – 1911
Margaret Bonds – 1913
