October 8 Is Now “National Salmon Day”

Despite being America’s second-most-consumed seafood, salmon has gone unheralded in the world of food holidays. Come Oct. 8, the pink fish will now have an annual day of celebration of its very own as part of National Seafood Month. “National Salmon Day” has been christened an official holiday dedicated to celebrating the health, taste, convenience and diverse recipe benefits of the world’s most popular pink fish. Starting this year, the day will be marked annually on Oct. 8 in honor of both wild and packaged salmon. Chicken of the Sea proposed the holiday as a public service to remind Americans of the significant health and wellness advantages of the fish. “Now, more than ever, Americans need a high-protein, high-omega-3 food that offers such universal taste and recipe-development appeal, the public doesn’t recognize it as a healthy option,” explains Maureen McDonnell, Chicken of the Sea’s director of brand marketing and category management. “National Salmon Day was created by Chicken of the Sea as an annual reminder of the essential nutritional benefits that packaged and wild salmon brings to the table.” “Our ultimate goal is to celebrate National Salmon Day in 2015 and in future years in such a way that it increases consumption of the fish leading to a long-term increase in America’s heart and nutritional health.” On Oct. 8, McDonnell and other Chicken of the Sea representatives will gather at the company’s San Diego headquarters to accept a City of San Diego proclamation designating the day as “National Salmon Day.” A company-wide party, themed to the company’s “Pink Up Your Lunch” healthy-eating initiative, will follow. The City of Chicago and Cook County, Ill., are also proclaiming Oct. 8 as “National Salmon Day” to commemorate the strong legacy of salmon fishing in Lake Michigan. Following inaugural local celebrations in San Diego and Chicago, Chicken of the Sea representatives will work with Chase’s Calendar of Events, the authoritative reference for annual dates and observances, to formalize its national-holiday designation. To encourage public participation, Chicken of the Sea is conducting a “30 Days of Salmon Sweepstakes” asking people to #PinkUpYourLunch on their social media platforms to win prizes and offering a coupon good for a free Chicken of the Sea Flavored Salmon Pouch, valued at $2 and downloadable on Oct. 8 only. The brand has also partnered with blogger and Twitter party host Mariah Moon, editor of “The Simple Parent” blog, for a one-hour National Salmon Day Twitter Party on October 8 at 4 p.m. PDT (7 p.m. EDT). Guests who participate in the Twitter party by tagging @TheSimpleParent, @COSMermaid and #NationalSalmonDay will have a chance to win salmon and other prizes from Chicken of the Sea. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating fatty fish, such as salmon, twice a week due to the importance of Omega-3 fatty acids. The AHA guidelines parallel expected updated recommendations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling for a dramatic increase in consumption of salmon and other seafood by pregnant and nursing women to aide in prenatal brain development.