Today is National Pink Day in the United States. The National Day Calendar website has been unable to determine the origins of this celebration. A search of the Congressional Record — Congress often designates national days — has yet to yield results. Still, it is Pink Day according to the calendar.
Smithsonian tells us that in the early Twentieth Century, boys wore pink: “In 1927, Time magazine printed a chart showing sex-appropriate colors for girls and boys according to leading U.S. stores. In Boston, Filene’s told parents to dress boys in pink. So did Best & Co. in New York City, Halle’s in Cleveland and Marshall Field in Chicago.”
The National Day Calendar reports similar rules for the Nineteenth Century: “Pink ribbons or decorations were worn by young boys in 19th century England. The men in England wore red uniforms and since boys were considered small men, boys wore pink.”
The custom appears to have changed in the 1940s.
There are many ways to celebrate Pink Day, but most people wear pink clothing or eat pink food. We offer this menu as a means of preparing a pink feast.
- Raspberry Crush
- Pink Gin
- Beet, Chickpea and Almond Dip
- Lobster Stew
- Salmon Rilettes
- Herbed Pikelets with Smoked Trout, Horseradish Cream and Endive
- Pan-Seared Strip Steak with Red-Wine Pan Sauce and Pink-Peppercorn Butter
- Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter, Lemon, and Radish Tops
- Roasted Beet and Feta Gratin with Fresh Mint
- Plum Semifreddo
- Fairy Meringues
- Pink Champagne Cake
Learn more:
Girls Are Taught To ‘Think Pink,’ But That Wasn’t Always So.
The Real Story of the Starbucks #PinkDrink and More Pink-ish Drinks Reviewed.
