National Twinkie Day Is A Time For Somber Reflection And/or Scoring Free Snack Cakes

Where would we be without PR emails? They alert us to all the important things in life. I wouldn't even know about the Bagelrito if not for the dedicated marketing team getting the word out. And now, they have let me know (with 12 hours left to celebrate!) that today, April 6, is National Twinkie Day. I shudder to think how close I came to letting the holiday pass me by entirely.

In all seriousness, it's a real milestone for the company: today marks 90 years since (as the press release tells me) bakery manager James Dewar invented the iconic snack cake. Aside from celebrating a nice, round anniversary number that's inching ever closer to the exciting centennial, Hostess isn't shy about pointing out the parallels between today and Twinkies' founding year, "during another period of national crisis." "Dewar created Twinkies as a way to get extra use out his baking pans and help satisfy Depression-era buyers without emptying their products—at the time, they were sold two for 5 cents." Maybe some thrifty baker is busy whipping up the next great American treat in their home kitchen right now.

But quick! Only so much daylight remains within National Twinkie Day, and you have a contest to enter. Posting a good Twinkie selfie on social media and tagging the necessary handles/hashtags will enter you for a chance to win a year's supply of Hostess products. No word yet on whether that will include peripheral Twinkie products such as iced lattes and breakfast cereal.

In addition to the free snacks being sent to the winning selfie photographer(s), Hostess is donating thousands of Twinkies to local food pantries, including Harvesters food bank in Kansas City and the Lakeview Pantry in Chicago, to support communities in need.