Today marks a “holiday” we can all celebrate — National Donut Day! Though there are many different stories that claim to explain how the sugary pastry came to be, we do know the donut craze really took hold when “Donut Girls” would serve the treats to American soldiers during World War I.  They continued to be a staple during the Depression, affordable to almost everyone. And the Salvation Army used to greet immigrants on Ellis Island with a blanket and a donut.

Then in the ’40s — as crazy as it sounds — the Doughnut Corporation of America put out ads for a product called the “vitamin donut.” The claim is that each donut is “fortified with a minimum of 25 units of Vitamin B1.” The product promised to provide Americans a dose of “pep and vigor” — until the War Food Administration clarified that only the flour was enriched with vitamins. And that was considered fairly misleading. Rather than change the name, the Corporation decided to take their product off the shelves entirely.

Today, we know that doughnuts aren’t exactly a healthy snack. But we still love them nonetheless. There’s a Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme on almost every corner; higher-end pastry shops have turned them into gourmet works of art. Don’t forget to stop and pick one up on your way home to celebrate this national holiday.

FUN FACT: Over 10 billion doughnuts are made in the U.S. each year, and Boston takes the lead with the most doughnut shops — 1 per every 250 people. (Source: HuffPost)