Striped Summer: Why the World Celebrates Watermelon Day There are festive holidays, family celebrations, and then there are those that make your mouth water. Watermelon Day, celebrated on August 3, belongs to the latter. On this day, millions of people around the world pick up a large green striped ball, hit it with their palm as hard as they can, listen to the dull sound, and eagerly await the moment when a knife pierces the crispy shell. And here it is — a red slice, a sweet aroma, and a feeling that summer has reached its peak. But where did this holiday come from? Why was it exactly the watermelon that was worthy of its own day? And how is it celebrated in different parts of the planet? America Gifts the World a Celebration The history of Watermelon Day originates from the United States, where it is known as National Watermelon Day. And this is not by chance: America firmly holds the lead in the consumption of this fruit per capita. Here, the watermelon is an indispensable attribute of summer picnics, as symbolic as the hot dog on Independence Day[reference:4]. However, precise information about who exactly came up with this holiday has not been preserved. Yet there is a beautiful legend. It is said that everything began in 1878 in the small town of Rockdale, Arkansas. A local farmer named Suink gathered an unprecedented harvest of watermelons on his farm. The generosity of the farmer was so great that he threw a feast for twenty-five passengers of a passing train. This act of kindness quickly turned into a tradition: a small banquet grew into a famous agricultural fair that eventually attracted tens of thousands of visitors. Suink himself was later elected mayor of Rockdale, and his name is forever etched in history as the person who gave the world Watermelon Day. Although the holiday was originally strictly American, it eventually spread all over the world. Today, it is celebrated with equal enthusiasm in Europe, Latin America, CIS countries, and of course, ... Read more