National Taco Day

What the day is

National Taco Day is observed on the first Tuesday in October. It celebrates the taco in every form, from street-cart corn tortillas folded around grilled meat to the crunchy shells and ground beef of American fast food. Restaurants mark it with specials, and many people simply plan their dinner around it.

The day moves with the calendar, so it always falls between October 1 and October 7.

Origin and background

For many years National Taco Day was held on October 4, which meant it only occasionally landed on a Tuesday, the day already associated with tacos through the popular Taco Tuesday deals. Starting in 2024, National Day Calendar, which tracks and registers these observances, moved it to the first Tuesday in October, working with Taco Bell. The first National Taco Day on the new date was Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Some calendars and restaurants still mention October 4, so you may see both dates.

The taco itself is much older than any of this. Tortillas made from nixtamalized corn, treated with an alkaline solution that makes the grain more nutritious and easier to grind, were a staple in Mexico long before the Spanish arrived, and wrapping food in them is an ancient practice. The word taco, as a name for the dish, appears in print in Mexico in the nineteenth century. One popular theory links it to the small paper-wrapped charges used by silver miners, though historians treat that as an educated guess rather than a settled fact.

Regional styles show how the taco travels. Tacos al pastor, with pork cooked on a vertical spit, grew out of the shawarma brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants. In the United States, the pre-fried hard shell became widespread in the mid-twentieth century and spread nationally through fast-food chains.

How to take part

• Visit a local taqueria and order something you have not tried, such as al pastor, carnitas, barbacoa or fish.
• Make tacos at home with warm corn tortillas, a simple salsa, chopped onion, cilantro and lime.
• Set up a taco bar for friends or family so everyone builds their own.
• Try a vegetarian filling, such as roasted sweet potato with black beans or grilled mushrooms.
• Look for restaurant deals, which are common on the day, and support an independent taco shop while you are at it.