According to US data, Americans are expected to devour over 7 billion hot dogs this summer, about 818 every second, with today (July 17) marking the peak of the trend! Popularly referred to as the “hot dog season,” this period between Memorial Day and Labour Day accounts for 38% of annual Hot Dog sales, estimated to be somewhere around $1.16 billion.

July 17 marks National Hot Dog Day, a celebration that began in the US but is now recognised globally in food and pop culture circles.

How did National Hot Dog Day come about?

First celebrated by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC), an American trade association, in 1991 to promote the hot dog and sausage industry. The council was founded in 1994 by the American Meat Institute. National Hot Dog Day has evolved to become a globally celebrated day across the internet, with different states in the US coming up with their renditions of the popular food item, which many now refer to as an ‘American classic’.

ALSO READ

Why is it named Hot Dog?

There are different theories around how this popular food item that serves sausages in buns came to be known as hot dogs. However, the most popular and widely accredited one attributes the credit for naming hot dogs to a sports cartoonist for the New York Times, Tad Dorgon.

Hot dogs were reportedly referred to as ‘red hots’ or ‘dachshund sausages’ before taking on their current name. When the cartoonist came across multiple vendors screaming, “They’re red hot! Get your dachshund sausages while they’re red hot!” in the New York Polo Grounds in 1901, he quickly wanted to portray a picture of the same.

However, Dorgon didn’t know how to spell ‘dachshund’, so he simply wrote ‘hot dog!’. This cartoon went on to become a cultural sensation, and the term ‘hot dog’ was coined. Although a copy of the cartoon corroborating this theory remains yet to be found, it has become the most widely believed story of how the term ‘Hot Dog’ came about.

ALSO READ

Tracing the origin of the Hot dog?

Similar to the mystery behind its name, there are several theories as to how the ‘invention’ of hot dogs transpired. While many refer to sausage-based dishes like frankfurter, from Frankfurt, Germany, and the Wiener from Vienna, Austria, as predecessors of the hot dog.

The most widely accepted theory traces the arrival of Hot dogs in America to the 19th century. It is reported that early German immigrants were the first ones that bring sausage-making to North America. They sold sausages from pushcarts as streetside vendors. Charles Feltman, a German baker who opened the very first hot dog stand on Coney Island, New York, is credited with inventing the elongated hot dog bun.

ALSO READ

Which are the most popular deals on the internet?

Multiple food chains, restaurants and street-side vending associations come together on this American public holiday to offer huge discounted deals for the day, which is amped up to be the hot dog feast of the year for the American people.

Some of the most popular deals that are trending on the internet have been listed as follows:

Love’s Travel Stops: Free daily hot dog through July 18 via app (42 states)
Dog Haus: Free Haus Dog for rewards members today (no purchase needed)
Sheetz: Two free dogs with a 10+ gallon fuel purchase (July 16-22, app offer)
GPM stores: Free Nathan’s dog with fountain drink at E-Z Mart/Fas Mart (rewards members)
Circle K: Two roller dogs for $1 (app exclusive)
Sonic: $1 corn dogs, $2 All-Americans, $3 footlong Coneys (app deals all July)
Portillo’s: $1 dogs for Perks members through July 20
7-Eleven: $2 Big Bite dogs (rewards members through 7/22)
Wienerschnitzel: Four chilli dogs for $4
Sam’s Club: $1.38 hot dog + Pepsi combo

Netizens react to National Hot Dog Day

From food influencers posting “glizzy stacks” to meme pages reigniting the ketchup vs. mustard debate, National Hot Dog Day has once again fired up appetites and opinions across social media.

Platforms like X and Instagram are already flooded with netizens posting their renditions of the popular American dish. Is it a hot dog if there’s no argument over toppings?” quipped one user on X (formerly Twitter), as the platform was flooded with everything from childhood memories at baseball games to sarcastic takes on “gourmet” hot dogs priced at ₹700 in Indian cafes.

The celebration for National Hot Dog Day 2025 carries on in full swing as even major league basketball teams join in on the fun. The Baltimore Orioles, a major league baseball team representing Baltimore, Maryland, also posted a humorous picture on X with mascots dressed as hot dogs.