National Chicken Wing Day

National Chicken Wing Day, observed on July 29th, celebrates chicken wings, particularly the spicy, sauce-tossed variety popularized as Buffalo wings, and the date is generally connected to the wing's widely credited origin story at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. According to the most commonly told account, Teressa Bellissimo, co-owner of the Anchor Bar, invented the dish in 1964 by deep-frying chicken wings, a part of the bird previously considered largely undesirable and often used mainly for stock, then tossing them in a simple mixture of hot sauce and butter, reportedly created as a quick, resourceful late-night snack for her son and his friends. The dish's immediate local popularity in Buffalo eventually spread nationally and internationally over subsequent decades, transforming chicken wings from a low-value byproduct into a highly sought-after menu item and helping drive significant shifts in poultry industry pricing and production as demand for wings specifically increased dramatically. Buffalo wings are traditionally served with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping, a combination believed to have originated alongside the original Anchor Bar recipe to help balance the sauce's heat. Chicken wings have since inspired countless flavor variations well beyond the original Buffalo style, including barbecue, teriyaki, garlic parmesan, and honey mustard preparations, becoming a beloved staple of American sports bar culture, particularly associated with football-watching gatherings and Super Bowl parties.