Happy National Pastry Day! Let’s Celebrate the Flakiest, Fluffiest Holiday of the Year

If there’s one thing that unites humanity, it’s the shared belief that pastries are magic. Today, on National Pastry Day, we honor every buttery layer, every powdered-sugar dusting, and every sweet or savory bite that has ever convinced us that “just one more” is a completely reasonable life choice.

But what actually is a pastry?Is a donut a pastry?Where do croissants fall in the pastry family tree?And why does everything taste better wrapped in dough?

Let’s break it down—no culinary degree required.

So… What Makes Something a Pastry?

A pastry is basically what you get when flour, fat (usually butter), and water team up to create a dough that bakes into something flaky, tender, or crumbly. From there, you can fill it, fold it, braid it, twist it, glaze it, or set it on fire if you’re particularly dramatic (looking at you, baked Alaska).

Think of pastries as the artistic cousins of bread:

• Bread is practical.

• Pastries are here for a good time, not a long time.

Here are the pastry hall-of-famers:

✨ Laminated Pastries – Croissants, Danish, puff pastry. So many buttery layers you might cry happy tears.✨ Shortcrust Pastries – Pies, tarts, quiches. For people who believe “pie is a legitimate breakfast.”✨ Choux Pastry – Éclairs, cream puffs, profiteroles. The lightest, airiest desserts that somehow weigh nothing but taste like everything.✨ Filo Pastry – Baklava, spanakopita. Delicate sheets stacked like edible paper.

And yes—donuts can count (especially if they’re made with a pastry-style dough). We don’t gatekeep joy here.

Why We Love Pastries (as if we needed reasons)

They’re:🥐 flaky🥧 buttery🍫 often filled with chocolate🍓 sometimes fruity🧀 occasionally cheesy😇 and always a good decision

Whether you’re a croissant purist, a pie devotee, or a “I will eat any pastry placed within a 10-foot radius” type of person, today is your day.

How to Celebrate National Pastry Day

• Treat yourself to your favorite pastry (or try one you’ve never had!).

• Support a local bakery—pastry chefs are basically sugar wizards.

• Attempt making one at home and admire your work, no matter how chaotic.

• Or go all in: declare it a multipastry day.

So raise your tarts, your turnovers, your cream puffs, and your croissants—

Happy National Pastry Day!