Gyro. Matthew Leppert / Pixabay.com / 2020 / CC0 1.0
The 1st of September is Gyro Day.
It celebrates the Greek dish consisting of shavings of moist, seasoned spit-roasted meat typically served with other fixings as a sandwich wrapped in pillowy, warmed pita bread.
How do you like gyro? The classic version, with lamb as the meat? Or maybe beef, or chicken?
You can now also get vegan gyros made with mushrooms, chickpeas, tempe or cauliflower replacing the meat, and with the tzatziki sauce being made from tofu or hemp.
Today’s maybe a good day also to learn the actual pronunciation of gyro, which is: “YEE-ro”, because in Greek, the G sounds more like a Y. (The word in Greek means “spin”).
But in the U.S., it’s okay to say “guy-ro”. People working in the restaurants will know will you mean, and hey, it’s not as though they always get English words right in Greece, either!
On Gyro Day, some places may hold giveaways, raffles or draws for customers to receive free gyros for a month or a year. Others may offer reduced prices, or even buy one, get one free deals.
Treat yourself to a gyro for lunch or dinner today! Heck, because it’s Gyro Day, you could even have one for breakfast as well, if you wanted!
#GyroDay #NationalGyroDay
See also: Greek Food, Lamb, Pita, Spit
History
The first print mention that CooksInfo is aware of for a Gyro Day dates from 2013 in Pennsylvania:
“Today is National Gyro Day and King of Kings Gryos on Public Square is celebrating by offering live music, giveaways and selling regular gyros for $5, a $2 savings. Also, get a king-sized gyro for $7 instead of the normal $8 price. Go to www.eatmoregyros.com for a chance to win additional prizes but hurry, you must register by 8 tonight.” — Seder, Andrew M.. Find Labor Day savings on all your picnic and BBQ needs. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: The Times Leader. Sunday, 1 September 2013. Page D1, col. 1.
Sources
Balmasedam, Liz. Here’s the gyro we need on National Gyro Day. Palm Beach, Florida: Palm Beach Post. 1 September 2017. Accessed August 2021 at https://www.palmbeachpost.com/entertainment/dining/here-the-gyro-need-national-gyro-day/2VLozIKHT5eIy2oph2iQSP/
Belton, Kevin. Chicken Gyro with Homemade Tzatziki for National Gyro Day. New Orleans, Louisiana: WWLTV. 1 September 2020. Accessed August 2021 at https://www.wwltv.com/article/life/food/chef-kevin-belton-chicken-gyro-with-homemade-tzatziki-for-national-gyro-day/289-463af926-b500-4e43-bee6-624eb3beb80a
Giovanis, Angelo. Tuesday Is National Gyro Day. Minneapolis, Minnesota: WCCO-TV. 1 September 2020. Accessed August 2021 at https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/video/4687281-tuesday-is-national-gyro-day/
Luna Grill Celebrates National Gyro Day with BOGO Deal. QSR Magazine. 27 August 2019. Accessed August 2021 at https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/luna-grill-celebrates-national-gyro-day-bogo-deal
Lollar, Holly. Taziki’s Mediterranean Café to Celebrate National Gyro Day with Giveaway. Birmingham, Alabama: PR News Wire. 29 August 2018. Accessed August 2021 at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tazikis-mediterranean-cafe-to-celebrate-national-gyro-day-with-giveaway-300704184.html
Negron, Eric. National Gyro Day 2018 Giveaway & Specials. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylivania: King of Gyros website. 22 August 2018. Accessed August 2020 at http://eatmoregyros.com/national-gyro-day-2018-giveaway-specials/