National Strawberry Day

We continue with February’s heart-shaped and red theme by observing National Strawberry Day on February 27th. These juicy, sweet berries can brighten up any dish and are delicious all on their own. There are a few different stories behind the origin of the name. The more widely accepted version is that the berries would drop off the leaves and become “strewn” about the plant. Over time “strewn-berries” became “strawberries”. There was a time (and some gardeners still do this today) when strawberry beds were mulched with straw, insulating the plants over the winter, keeping weeds at bay during the growing season, and making them easier to harvest. Another sweet story tells of English children stringing the berries on grass straws and selling the “straw berries” in their neighborhoods.

While we continue to research the origins of this national food holiday, one resource shows the day has been celebrated by the grocery industry since at least 2013. And it’s showing no signs of stopping, either.