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Everybody loves a buffet, so imagine having a whole day dedicated to one! National Buffet Day is about hosting or attending a buffet of epic proportions—enjoy a table spread with enough food to keep you full for a whole day, and interesting enough to make eating all day fun and exciting!

The History of National Buffet Day

The buffet table has its origins in brännvinsbord—a type of schnapps made in 16th century Sweden. The smörgåsbord was a type of “meal” during which guests gathered for a pre-dinner drink and small talk. The smörgåsbord buffet was often held in separate rooms for men and women before the dinner was served.

The Smörgåsbord became internationally known as “smorgasbord” at the 1939 New York World’s Fair exhibition when the Swedes taking part in the exhibition had to invent a new way of showcasing the best dishes of the Swedish cuisine to large numbers of visitors.

The term “buffet” itself originally referred to a type of French sideboard furniture where the food was served but became popular in the English-speaking world in the second half of the 20th century after the Swedes had popularized the smorgasbord in New York, probably because it was considerably easier to pronounce and remember.

How to Celebrate National Buffet Day

The way you celebrate National Buffet Day depends on where you are and what your preferences are. If you happen to be anywhere near Nevada, it would be an unforgettable experience to visit one of Las Vegas’ famous all-you-can-eat buffets. The Carnival World Buffet offers more than 300 dishes (!) and more than 70 varieties of homemade pies, cakes, and pastries all made from scratch. For $24, you can get into Carnival World and stay all day, tasting the extremely wide variety of foods on offer all throughout it.

If you’re a fan of seafood, you could visit The Village Seafood Buffet, that features all of your seafood favorites such as lobster, snow crab legs, shrimp, freshly shucked oysters, sushi and many other mouthwatering seafood dishes. Lago Buffet at Caesars Palace is another absolute must for anyone who truly loves food, especially in such enormous quantities. Featuring fresh ingredients and many made-to-order specialties, the Lago Buffet offers a world-class selection of Asian fare, herb-roasted poultry and sauteed pasta.

If you’re not anywhere near Nevada, or crowded places are just not your thing, consider preparing your own buffet at home to celebrate National Buffet Day. You can make anything you want, of course, but seeing as how the buffet has Swedish origins, why not try some Swedish or Scandinavian specialties?

Start buy seeking out a high-quality schnapps. Many different kinds of flavored schnapps are available today, and they range from exotic, summery flavors such as watermelon or coconut to root beer or others like it. The world over, cinnamon schnapps is perhaps the most popular kind of schnapps. However, if you’re wanting to keep your smorgasbord/buffet as traditional as possible, buy some Akvavit, a flavored spirit that has been produced in Scandinavia since the 15th century.

Akvavit, like vodka, is distilled from either grain or potatoes. After distillation, it is flavored with herbs, spices, or fruit oil, with caraway, cardamom, cumin, anise, fennel, and lemon or orange peel being the most popular choices. Traditionally, different types of pickled herring are served with the drink.

Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget to celebrate National Buffet Day!

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