Jan6 Fun Holiday – Bean Day

January 6 is Bean Day. If your question after hearing this is, why? Well, because beans are healthy – they are rich in proteins and fiber and they taste good.

Some believe that this unofficial holiday, which is also known as Nation Bean Day in the United States, was created to commemorate the death anniversary of scientist Gregor Mendel. Known as the Father of Genetics, Mendel experimented on peas to discover the laws of genetic inheritance.

Many Varieties

Although many people around the world consider peas as part of the beans family, they are not technically beans. Botanists classify peas and snap peas as vegetables.

Beans have been consumed by humans since ancient times. They are a natural source of proteins, fibers and vitamins and have a small environmental footprint. Today, there are 40,000 known varieties of beans around the world. Only a few of these are cultivated for human consumption.

How to Celebrate?

• This is easy, have beans for every meal: baked beans for breakfast, red beans and rice for lunch, and bean soup for dinner.
• For dessert, have jelly beans, even though technically they are not beans.
• Make bean art. Use different colored beans to make pictures.

Did You Know…

...that the leaves of a bean plant tilt towards the Sun in the day and fold up during the night?

Bean Day Observances

Fun Holiday: Bean Day Observances
Year	Weekday	Date	Name
2024	Sat	6 Jan	Bean Day
2025	Mon	6 Jan	Bean Day
2026	Tue	6 Jan	Bean Day
2027	Wed	6 Jan	Bean Day
2028	Thu	6 Jan	Bean Day
2029	Sat	6 Jan	Bean Day
2030	Sun	6 Jan	Bean Day
2031	Mon	6 Jan	Bean Day
2032	Tue	6 Jan	Bean Day
2033	Thu	6 Jan	Bean Day

See all Fun Holidays