What Day Is It?National Cookie Day falls on December 4 every year. It is an unofficial fun day in the United States, and it lands right as holiday baking gets going.
What is National Cookie Day?
It is an excuse to bake, buy or share cookies. No agency runs it, and its origin is not clearly documented. Bakeries and food brands keep it alive with free cookies and one-day offers, so it is worth checking your favorite local shop.
Why Americans say cookie
The word came from the Dutch koekje, meaning “little cake.” Dutch settlers brought it to New York when it was still New Amsterdam. Most of the English-speaking world says biscuit, but American English kept the Dutch word.
The most famous cookie has a known inventor
The chocolate chip cookie goes back to Ruth Wakefield, who ran the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, in the 1930s. She chopped up a chocolate bar and stirred it into her dough. The recipe spread so fast that Nestlé began printing it on its packaging.
Ways to mark the day
- Bake one batch and give half away.
- Try a cookie from another country, such as Italian biscotti or Turkish kurabiye.
- Start a cookie swap with friends or coworkers.
- Leave a plate on a neighbor’s doorstep.
National Cookie Day dates
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | December 4 | Friday |
| 2027 | December 4 | Saturday |
| 2028 | December 4 | Monday |
Frequently asked questions
Is National Cookie Day official?
No. It is an unofficial fun day. Nothing closes, and no law created it.
Is there another cookie day?
Yes. Fun-day calendars also list days for single kinds of cookie, such as chocolate chip cookies. December 4 is the general one.