May 15 is National Slider Day

Today is National Slider Day, created in 2015 by the marketing geniuses at White Castle. Sadly, NYC Burger Week (May 1 -7) is now defunct, but you can still celebrate your belly bombs anytime during National Hamburger Month.

There’s debate about the origin of the slider. According to White Castle,

In 1921, Billy Ingram launched a family-owned business with $700 and an idea, selling five-cent, small, square hamburgers so easy to eat, they were dubbed Sliders and sold by the sack.

While it may have invented the mini-burger, some sources state that Navy soldiers invented the term “slider” in the 1940s to describe a tiny, greasy burger that slid down easily. The version with cheese was referred to as a “slider with a lid.”

When I say “sources,” I’m referring to the blogosphere, which tends to take other blogs’ assertions as fact without further research. I hesitate to amplify that dodgy story here, but, at presstime, the US Navy has not responded to requests for comment.

In any case, since then, that thin strip of beef topped with onions and pickles has evolved into upscale fare. Trying to ingest a nouveau slider in one bite could present a choking hazard and result in a request that you leave the restaurant immediately.

No matter how you plan to celebrate, have a happy National Slider Day!