National Sausage Pizza Day
Today we celebrate and eat sausage pizza! Sausage is one of the most popular pizza toppings, but this was not always the case. The history of pizza dates back hundreds of years, to when pie-shaped flatbreads with toppings were first eaten in Naples in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. At the time, this coastal city was not part of Italy, but its own kingdom. The working poor, or lazzaroni, lived outside or in small homes, and needed cheap food. Pizza consisted of flatbread with toppings such as tomatoes, garlic, cheese, oil, or anchovies, and it was sold by street vendors and informal restaurants, and eaten for any meal. Pizza didn't end up becoming popular in the rest of Italy until the 1940s.
It was in the United States, where Neapolitans immigrated to, that pizza gained in popularity. The first pizzeria in the United States was Lombardi's, which was started in New York City in 1905. Lombardi's is still in business, and although it is in a new location, the original oven is still in use. Neapolitans brought pizza to many other cities, including Trenton, New Haven, St. Louis, Chicago, and Boston. Pizza became popular all over the country, especially following World War II. Many styles of crusts and different toppings became popular in different regions. Eventually, pizza made its way back to Italy, as well as to other parts of the world.
How to Observe National Sausage Pizza Day
Celebrate the day by eating sausage pizza! You could eat it at a pizzeria, perhaps at one that has one of the best sausage pizzas in the country. You could also make a frozen sausage pizza at home, or make a homemade pizza.