National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day

National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day, observed on November 12th, offers a playfully specific celebration of fully loaded pizza, deliberately excluding one particularly polarizing topping from an otherwise all-inclusive combination. Anchovies, small, intensely salty and pungent-flavored fish traditionally used as a pizza topping, have long been considered one of the most divisive pizza ingredients, frequently cited in polls and popular culture as among the least popular choices compared to more universally appealing options like pepperoni, mushrooms, and sausage. The observance's specific exclusion humorously acknowledges this widespread topping controversy, suggesting that a truly crowd-pleasing "everything" pizza should reasonably omit an ingredient known to provoke strong negative reactions from a significant portion of pizza eaters. A fully loaded pizza "with the works" typically includes a substantial combination of toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, olives, and extra cheese, creating a hearty, topping-dense pizza experience distinct from simpler cheese or single-topping varieties. Pizza itself has become one of the most globally popular foods, with the specific combination and variety of toppings varying considerably by regional and cultural preference, reflecting local ingredient availability and taste traditions. National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day is celebrated by ordering or making a fully loaded pizza, naturally leaving off the specifically excluded fishy topping.