National Men Make Dinner Day – November 3, 2022, history, significance
Here at National Today, we are all about empowerment, in whatever form it takes that’s especially true on November 1 for National Men Make Dinner Day! So if you identify as a man then throw on an apron, sharpen those knife skills, and create incredible evening meals for yourself, your friends, or your family!
Despite gender roles becoming less rigid in America, there are still many men who are not taught to cook and don’t take the initiative or confidence to enter to the kitchen and create a meal for themselves or a loved one. This day is all about giving men the strength to get in there and whip up something nice!
HISTORY OF NATIONAL MEN MAKE DINNER DAY
Humans started cooking, roughly, about 500,000 years ago. Regardless of whether they were man, women, or child, we’ve been cooking our food for quite some time now and many scholars actually believe this practice could go back to even 1 million years ago.
But, just because it’s National Men Make Dinner Day doesn’t mean you have to go all out for a five course steak dinner. A large, healthy salad can perfectly feed a family of four for dinner. Additionally, the idea that any single gender was responsible for creating the meals is a fairly recent development that’s quickly become antiquated in modern society. Five-hundred thousand years ago it didn’t matter who made dinner as long as someone did.
Now, it’s time for any and all men to step their game up and get back to their prehistoric roots by sharpening their cooking skills as much as their often left unused chef knives.
NATIONAL MEN MAKE DINNER DAY TIMELINE
1492
Columbus Sails into Food History
Through the “Columbian Exchange” foods from the New World and the Old World were exchanged and recipes forever changed.
1845
Modern Cookery for Your Humble Abode
In 1845, “Modern Cookery for Private Families” was published, which was one of the first cookbooks aimed at the home chef rather than the professional one.
1920s
Cooking Goes Modern
In the 1920s, canned foods, cafeterias, fast food restaurants, and refrigeration techniques were all developed.
1938
Non-Stick Sticks Around
Non-stick pans wouldn’t be commercially available today until the invention of Teflon (or PTFE), done accidentally by Roy Plunkett for DuPont.
NATIONAL MEN MAKE DINNER DAY ACTIVITIES
If you’re a man, cook dinner
If you’re a man who doesn’t think of himself as a cook, today is a great day to get started. Look up a favorite recipe, break open a cookbook, or call your mom to ask her what you should cook for your foray. Already a seasoned cook? Great! Use the day as an opportunity to use your skills instead of ordering takeout.
If you’re a woman, find a man to cook dinner for you
We don’t believe in the battle of the sexes, but for National Men Make Dinner Day, we are in favor of women kicking up their feet. If you’re your household’s regular cook, take the opportunity to encourage any men in the house to cook dinner for you. No men around? Takeout is a great option — pick a restaurant with a man on the line!
Teach a child to cook
For parents, today is a great opportunity to start teaching your children, especially your sons, to help cook. Dads, get your sons chopping, mixing, and washing. Moms, you’re doing takeout, so you can start tomorrow.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL MEN MAKE DINNER DAY
Everyone should know how to cook
Cooking a meal for yourself or for others is deeply satisfying and feels great. Lots of people, especially men, aren’t encouraged to learn how to cook, and that can make them feel useless in the kitchen. This day is all about putting aside that stigma, and encouraging everyone to get in the kitchen.
Making dinner is a nice thing to do
Regardless of your culinary skills, preparing a meal for your friends or family is a real kindness. Whether you go gourmet or keep it simple with pasta and a canned sauce, your loved ones will be thankful!
It’s a great time to reevaluate gender norms
Just weeks before Thanksgiving, this holiday comes at the perfect time to remind many men that a woman’s place isn’t necessarily in the kitchen — and a man’s place certainly can be! Many families have a tradition of men watching football while women cook, but this day reminds all of us that gender shouldn’t dictate who cooks!
