National Food Holidays in 2021

Year-Round Free Eats

From pizza to pretzels to pancakes, the 2021 calendar is packed with national food days that can bring big savings on many of your favorite treats. Frugal foodies who are hungry for freebies and discounts will want to keep track of the following delicious deals.

Pie

Keep an eye out for National Pie Day specials in mid-January (the day itself is Jan. 23, and not to be confused by Pi Day that comes March 14 and is mainly a math pun). In the past, Long John Silver's and Burger King have offered a free slice, and pie specialists Marie Callender's and the Village Inn have offered coupons for the day.

Bagels

During past National Bagel Days (Jan. 15), Einstein Bros. Bagels, Panera Bread, and other chains have offered freebies to their customers. Watch for deals at various bagel shops near you.

Margaritas

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurants celebrate National Margarita Day on Feb. 22 with specials on margaritas and related products.

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Chocolate

Valentine's Day shares Feb. 14 with a complementary holiday: National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day. While there may not be any big bargains on chocolate leading up to the holiday, the days following are prime time for stocking up on the sweet stuff, discounted for quick post-holiday sale.

Pancakes

IHOP restaurants traditionally go all out for National Pancake Day, giving away free short stacks of buttermilk pancakes in exchange for an optional donation to charity. Last year, Feb. 25 was the big day; IHOP has yet to officially announce the 2021 date, but we expect it to be on or around the same time of year.

Pretzels

Look for pretzel deals for all of National Soft Pretzel Month in April but especially for National Pretzel Day on April 26. Several chains typically celebrate; in past years, Snyder's of Hanover has done giveaways and Auntie Anne's pretzel shops have offered free-pretzel coupons and the chance to win free pretzels for a year.

Hamburgers

For meat lovers, May can be summed up in three words: National Hamburger Month. Look for deals on ground meat during these weeks or head to White Castle, which has offered 25-cent and even free sliders in past years.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

DoubleTree by Hilton is known for giving guests chocolate chip cookies as one of their hotel perks and has even gone outside its hotels on at least one National Chocolate Chip Day in May (this year, it's May 15). Potbelly Sandwich Shop and 7-Eleven have also offered deals in the past. Another way to mark the day is by baking up a batch of the treats yourself.

Doughnuts

National Doughnut Day usually falls on the first Friday in June or in early November, according to some calendars, but June is when Krispy Kreme typically gives away doughnuts to customers, no purchase required, and Dunkin' Donuts often serves up a freebie for customers who buy a drink. Tim Hortons has gone the coupon route in past years, sometimes offering specials such as a 2017 promotion of 24k gold-dusted doughnut holes.

Lobster and Seafood

National Lobster Day on Sept. 25 is a perfect time to indulge in this usually pricey crustacean. Keep an eye out for special discounts at seafood restaurants in your area.

Hot Dogs

National Hot Dog Month kicks off with a bang at the annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, and National Hot Dog Day (typically the third week of July) has seen free or discounted hot dogs from 7-Eleven, Sonic, and QuikTrip.

Ice Cream

July heat means there's no better time for National Ice Cream Month and a bunch of tag-along days, including National Ice Cream Day, on the third Sunday (July 18 this year). Traditionally, Baskin-Robbins, Graeter's, Cold Stone Creamery, Marble Slab Creamery, Maggie Moo's Ice Cream and Treatery, Burger King, McDonald's, and more have all had deals for the month.

Waffles

Waffle House is the obvious place to go for National Waffle Day on March 25 or Aug. 24 (there's some conflict over which date is the "official" Waffle Day). Expect to find coupons or discounts, buy-one-get-one-free meals, or even a free waffle.

Coffee

The usual suspects — Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, Peet's & Coffee Tea, Tim Hortons, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Einstein Bros., Krispy Kreme, and Dunkin' Donuts — typically offer deals for National Coffee Day, Oct. 1, whether it's in a cup, pods, or a bag for home brew.

Pizza

October is National Pizza Month. In the past, Papa Johns offered BOGO pizza deals, and look to other national chains such as Pizza Hut to also offer deals.

Nachos

National Nachos Day at the beginning of November (this year, Nov. 6) has seen deals from restaurants such as On The Border (half off popular versions) and Salsarita's ($5 nachos throughout the day) in years past. We expect similar deals this year.

Cookies

Cookie lovers can also get their fix this month as National Cookie Day is Dec. 4 — not to be confused with May's chocolate chip cookie celebrations — and more than a few retailers are likely to be happy to hand out cookies to help you celebrate. In previous years, cookie vendor Mrs. Fields has offered a free cookie with a purchase.