No matter how you slice (or bite) it, February 9 is destined to be delicious, because it's both National Pizza Day and National Bagel Day.
There's always room for pizza and bagels. Respondents to a January Harris Poll ranked pizza as their No. 1 comfort food: 15% chose pizza over chocolate (7%), ice cream (7%), mac and cheese (5%), and potato chips (4%). On the flip side, 61% of American households enjoy eating bagels, according to 2015 data compiled by Statista.
Here are some tips to help you get festive and to pay homage to these "should-really-be-federal" holidays:
Acquire the proper gear
This may necessitate going to the nearest mall to get some subject-appropriate footwear, such as new slip-on sneakers with a pepperoni pizza motif or ordering a bagel print sweatshirt online.
Or you could coordinate your outfit, like this one Beyonce sported in 2013.
Get crafty with a pizzagel or bagelza
Now that you're dressed, it's time for multi-tasking, making pizza bagels for lunch. Slice an "everything" bagel in half, then spread some jarred pizza sauce on the cut sides. Top both with a ton of mozzarella cheese, then heat in the oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.
It's really a year-round observance
National Pizza Day and National Bagel Day should be celebrations filled with happiness instead of intense pain. Don't burn yourself by biting your pizza bagels too early. Also, be aware: While their origin stories are unclear, these holidays appear to be distinct from National Cheese Pizza Day (September 5), National Pepperoni Pizza Day (September 20), National Sausage Pizza Day (October 11), and National Have a Bagel Day (December 11). More holidays mean more chances to eat pizza and bagels, right?
Determine your best method of attack
Everyone thinks their own way to dig into a steaming hot slice of pizza is the best. There's the classic way to dive in, starting point first, or making it fancy with a knife and fork. Going crust first just seems awkward to some. Others employ "the fold," which is probably the neatest style.
According to Patti Wood, an Atlanta-based body language expert and trainer, you can tell a lot about someone's personality through his or her preferred way to eat pizza. This past fall, Cosmopolitan asked Wood to categorize pizza-eating styles into behavior profiles based on "DISC," a program commonly used by corporate human resource departments to evaluate employees: Drivers, Influencers, Supporters, and Careful Correctors.
People who do "the fold" are Drivers: no-nonsense types who like to take care of business. Those who go crust-first are Influencers: innovative, novelty-seekers. Supporters like to be methodical, which explains why they use utensils: Don't leave anything to chance. Careful Correctors have tried other ways before settling on the easiest: Just pick up a slice and bite!
Realize that pizza is political
The Daily Show's Jon Stewart lambasted Donald Trump and Sarah Palin in 2011 for eating pizza with a knife and fork. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio felt the heat from "Pizzagate" while using the utensils while on a visit to Goodfellas Pizza on Staten Island. Plus, don't tell actor Patrick Stewart if you prefer not to eat the crust.
Think pizza lovers are particular? Bagel fans tend to have a circular argument -- "open face" vs. "sandwich-style." Statistics provided by the team from Thomas Bagels indicate 21% of bagel eaters treat theirs like a sandwich, while 79% don't.
A third type, as discussed in "Should I Scoop Out My Bagel?" by Ilyse Schapiro and Hallie Rich, is a schmear on the side of being controversial. Scooping out the extra bread in the center saves carbs and calories before piling on the toppings, which replace the calories you saved.
How do you eat your pizza and bagels? What would Pizza Rat or Bagel Pigeon do?
