Thursday, July 23 is National Hot Dog Day in which Hot Dogs get their spotlight moment! Gone are the rumors and ridicule about what hot dogs are actually made of because, truth be told, Americans consume 7 billion hot dogs between Memorial Day to Labor Day. That’s 818 hot dogs being consumed every second this summer!

Hot dogs are not just for summer barbecues! On National Hot Dog Day, consider telling a hot dog joke, share hot dog trivia and by all means, follow hot dog etiquette (I didn’t even know there was such a thing)! However you choose to celebrate National Hot Dog Day, be sure to eat your hot dogs with your favorite toppings!

Jokes About Hot Dogs For National Hot Dog Day

• Have a laugh and share these jokes about hot dogs with your children or grandchildren on National Hot Dog Day.
• Why were the hot dogs shivering? Because they were being served with chili!
• How does a ghost eat a frankfurter? By goblin it up!

Hot Dogs Trivia And Fun Facts For National Hot Dog Day

Here are some fun hot dogs facts and trivia questions that you can share with your friends on National Hot Dog Day.

• Who, when transitioning from the silent screen to talkies uttered “Hot Dogs” as his first ever on-screen words? Mickey Mouse in The Karnival Kid in 1929. As a throwback, the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show today ends every show with the “Hot Dog!” song.
• What Hollywood starlet said that hot dogs and champagne were her favorite meal? Marlene Deitrich
• In 2011, on the 7 hole at the Fry’s.com open, a spectator threw a hot dog from the crowd at Tiger Woods. The retort from the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council President was outrage in that “hot dogs are meant to be enjoyed, not weaponized”. ESPN named this the quote of the year.
• In order to celebrate Paraguay’s 200 anniversary as a country, the world’s largest hot dog was created, measuring an impressive 668 feet!
• Hot dogs have even been to the moon! Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin ate hot dogs on their Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
• The top five hot dog consuming cities in the US are Los Angeles (39+ million a year), New York City, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Chicago.
• On the 4 of July every year, 150 million hot dogs are eaten. When spread out end to end, this equates to going from DC to LA more than 5 times!
• In order to celebrate the arrival of British Monarchs Queen Elizabeth and King George VI for the first time on American soil, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt served hot dogs as the state dinner.
• Did you know that Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley and Perry Como all have songs titled “Hot Dog”?
• What famous character uttered the phrase, “Nobody, I mean nobody puts ketchup on a hot dog”. Dirty Harry
• Did you know that the average weight of a fully loaded bin of hot dogs that a vendor carries at the ballpark is 40 pounds?
• Holy hot dogs! Did you know that you can even buy a hot dog at the Vatican snack bar in Rome?
• Which famous actress eats a hot dog every day for lunch and says it’s the secret to her longevity? Betty White

Etiquette Regarding Hot Dogs For National Hot Dog Day

Did you know there is etiquette regarding eating hot dogs? On National Hot Dog Day, you should consider some of these tips when in the backyard grilling up some hot dogs.

1. Dress the hot dog and not the bun! Toppings should be on the hot dog and not in between the hot dog and the bun.
2. Condiments go in a certain order! Start with wet ingredients such as mustard or chili. Next top with chunky ingredients like relish and onions. Next add shredded cheese. Finally sprinkle on the spices.
3. Hot dogs should never be paired with wine! Beer, soda, iced tea and lemonade beverages are acceptable.
4. Not all buns are OK! Plain, sesame or poppy seed buns are good, but gourmet flavored buns such as sun-dried tomato or basil buns are considered tacky and uncivilized.
5. Eat with your hands! Utensils are not made to touch hot dogs on buns. Warning! I think knives and forks cause allergic reactions to hot dogs!
6. Don’t take more than 5 bites to eat your hot dog! Savor the flavors, but you need to get them all in one bite. If you are eating a foot long, 7 bites are acceptable.
7. Fingers should be licked! If you finish your hot dog and have condiments left on your fingers, lick them off. Never wash them off with soap and water.
8. Hot dogs and buns are married! Don’t separate the hot dog and the bun. It is not acceptable to leave pieces of bun on your plate.
9. Ketchup has an age limit! We all have to grow up sometime, so the NHDSC states that no ketchup should be eaten on a hot dog after the age of 18.

Enjoy National Hot Dog Day by cooking up a few of these favorite treats on the grill. If you can’t get enough of hot dogs, check out our personalized hot dog ornaments or other concession stand ornaments that you can get to commemorate a trip to the ballpark, a family picnic, winning a hot dog eating contest or to celebrate a favorite food!