National Pizza Party Day (3rd Fri. in May)
The third Friday in May is one of the better entries on the weird holiday calendar, not because it’s surprising but because it doesn’t need to be. Pizza is already the default answer to most group food decisions.
This day just makes it official and gives you a reason to do it properly rather than just ordering a box on a Tuesday night without any ceremony. It’s a social food holiday in the truest sense, built around a meal that almost nobody refuses.
When is the Holiday?
The third Friday in May each year. Upcoming dates:
- May 15, 2026
- May 21, 2027
- May 19, 2028
- May 18, 2029
- May 17, 2030
- May 16, 2031
- May 21, 2032
Who Invented It?
No official founder. It grew out of America’s existing and very well-documented love of pizza and the fact that sharing it is already a social ritual for most people. Schools, offices, and families had been throwing pizza parties long before the day had a name.
The History of the Holiday
Pizza in some form goes back to ancient flatbreads topped with ingredients in Greece and Egypt, but the version most people recognize started in Naples in the 18th century.
Italian immigrants brought it to the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where it took root first as a working-class food in cities like New York and Chicago before spreading everywhere.
The delivery boom of the mid-20th century is what turned pizza into a party food. Once it could reliably show up at your door hot and ready, it became the default meal for gatherings of any size.
The first online pizza order was placed in 1994, a pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut, which marked the beginning of internet food delivery as a concept. That’s a more significant moment in food history than it probably gets credit for.
Fun Facts About Pizza
1. 93 percent of Americans eat pizza at least once a month. That’s not a food trend, that’s a permanent fixture of the national diet.
2. Pizza is a $46 billion industry in the US alone. Which makes National Pizza Party Day less of a quirky food holiday and more of a celebration of something genuinely enormous.
3. The first online pizza order was placed in 1994. A pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut. It opened a door that the entire food delivery industry eventually walked through.
4. The world’s largest pizza measured over 13,500 square feet. Made in Rome. The logistics of that are worth thinking about for a moment.
5. Pepperoni is the most popular topping in the US. By a significant margin. Every regional debate about toppings eventually has to reckon with the fact that most people just want pepperoni.
Coloring Page
Print the pizza party coloring sheet for younger kids to use while the real pizza is on its way. It also works as a craft station addition if you’re hosting a group and need something to keep smaller children occupied between activities.
Activities to Celebrate
A DIY pizza bar is the most fun version of this day for families or groups. Set out different sauces, cheeses, and toppings and let everyone build their own. Kids take this seriously and the results are always interesting. Naan bread or English muffins work if you don’t want to deal with dough, and the personalization is the point regardless of the base.
A pizza taste-off is worth doing if you want something with a bit more structure. Order from two or three local places, set up simple scorecards rating crust, sauce, toppings, and overall flavor, and work through them as a group. People have strong opinions about local pizza and this gives those opinions somewhere to go.
For a lower-effort evening, pizza and a movie is a perfectly good celebration. Pizza in pajamas, a food-themed film, no plates required if you’re eating straight from the box. It requires almost no planning and reliably works for all ages.
If you’re doing this with younger kids, a pretend pizza shop using cardboard, play dough, and notepads for orders is a good rainy day activity that ties directly into the theme. The paper plate pizza craft is a simpler version for preschoolers who want something more hands on.
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Links to Resources
- Pizza Craft Kit – felt pizza shapes and toppings for preschoolers to assemble and reassemble. Good for keeping younger kids busy before the real thing arrives.
- Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig – a picture book about a grumpy kid who gets turned into a pizza by his dad. A good storytime choice for this day with younger children.
- Wooden Pizza Play Food Set (Melissa & Doug) – reusable toy slices with toppings. Good for pretend play and fine motor skills.
- Pizza Party Game – a fast-paced dice game for two players matching toppings to pizza slice cards. Quick to learn and good for a range of ages.
- Pizza Fraction Game (Learning Resources) – uses pizza slices to teach fractions visually. A good way to sneak some math into a celebration without it feeling like schoolwork.
Related Holidays
National Pizza Day (February 9) – the bigger, broader pizza holiday. Many restaurants run deals and it covers all styles and regional variations.
National Deep Dish Pizza Day (April 5) – dedicated specifically to the Chicago style. Worth trying to make at home if you’ve never done it, or a good excuse to find a local place that does it properly.
National Cheese Pizza Day (September 5) – strips it back to the simplest version. No toppings debate, no regional rivalry. Just cheese and sauce on good dough.
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