About Cinnamon Roll Day
Cinnamon Roll Day is intended to be a day to promote Swedish baking traditions, with a particular focus on cinnamon buns, and to increase the consumption of yeast, flour, sugar and margarine. The day is promoted throughout Sweden and Finland, with advertising appearing in shops and cafés.
While the precise location and date of the first cinnamon roll are unknown, this pastry was first created in Scandinavia sometime in the early 18th century, with variations popping up in different countries across the world soon after.
Unlike the frosted version that is more popular in the United States, the Swedish cinnamon roll is not as sweet or heavy. The dough contains cardamom (which gives it a spicier and more aromatic feel), and the buns are topped with pearl sugar instead of frosting.
The rolls became popular in the Southern states and eventually extended across the nation. There are some regional variations on the cinnamon roll recipe, including Philadelphia cinnamon rolls — which are sweetened with honey, sugar, cinnamon, and raisins. There are also variations in the topping of these rolls. The Nordic cinnamon roll has sprinkled pearl sugar rather than icing. American recipes utilize a thick, sweetened cream cheese icing or a thin vanilla glaze.
Cinnamon Roll Day (Swedish: Kanelbullens dag, Finnish: Korvapuustipäivä) is observed on October 4th each year. It is an annual theme day created for marketing purposes in Sweden and Finland. It was created in 1999 by Kaeth Gardestedt, a then project manager for the Home Baking Council.
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