Photo by Chad Montano on unsplash

This food holiday began in 1977 when the city of Buffalo, New York, issued a proclamation declaring July 29 as Chicken Wing Day, celebrating how many thousands of pounds of wings Buffalonians were eating weekly in local taverns and restaurants.

Buffalo‑style chicken wings date to 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, where co‑owner Teressa Bellissimo reportedly deep‑fried leftover wings and tossed them in butter and hot sauce as a quick late‑night snack for her son and his friends. At the time, wings were usually used for soup stock or discarded, but the new dish caught on quickly and spread to other Buffalo restaurants.

Since its creation, National Chicken Wing Day has expanded beyond Buffalo, with wing‑focused festivals and promotions across North America and a wide range of flavors far beyond the original hot‑sauce version. Many people mark the day by trying different sauces—hot, sweet, smoky, or dry‑rubbed—and by pairing wings with classic sides like blue cheese dressing, celery, or other dips.