First Ever National Cinnamon Day on November 1st Launches the Holidays

It’s time to celebrate the hardest working spice of the holiday season with its own national holiday on November 1st – let’s hear it for Cinnamon! While pumpkin spice has been getting all the glory this fall, cinnamon has been behind the scenes flavouring your favourite holiday classics like apple pie, snickerdoodle cookies, cinnamon rolls, mulled cider, sweet potato casserole, French toast, pumpkin pie and more. 

“Cinnamon truly is one of America’s favourite holiday spices; it’s warm, sweet, and a bit spicy. It makes both sweet and savoury foods delicious during the holiday season,” said Jill Pratt, VP of North America marketing excellence at McCormick, the flavour leader in the US. “As our most sold holiday spice this time of year, we wanted to give cinnamon the attention it deserves, as well as honour people with this unique name. We’re declaring this #CinnamonSeason, and rallying lovers of this flavour everywhere to celebrate the spice rack’s unsung hero.”

To kick-off #CinnamonSeason, McCormick has teamed up with celebrated pastry chef and creator of the Cronut®, Dominique Ansel, to create an all-new exclusive cinnamon treat perfect for the start of the holiday season.  Chef Dominique’s limited-edition, hand-decorated Cinnamon Brown Sugar Animal Crackers, served in a keepsake metal box with a bottle of ground cinnamon, will be available at the Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City on Friday, November 1st only.  These one-of-a-kind cinnamon cookies will be offered on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last, starting at 8:00 a.m. EST.  The bakery is located at 189 Spring Street, NY, NY 10012.  For anyone who can’t experience this new cinnamon treat in-person, a homemade recipe version with how-to video is available here.

McCormick and Ansel’s new Cinnamon Brown Sugar Animal Crackers recipe puts the warm, aromatic spice front and center.  “There’s no better time to pick up baking than during the holidays, and I’m excited to share my recipe for homemade cinnamon-spiced animal crackers to kick off the season,” says Dominique Ansel, chef and owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery. “Animal crackers always remind me of the holidays because I would string them together to make holiday ornaments and decorations. So we’ve created a fresh take on a nostalgic recipe for the first National Cinnamon Day.”

Additionally, McCormick is on a mission to find and recognize the unique people named Cinnamon. Did you know that Cinnamon as a girl’s name is #13,961 in popularity? It’s time to shine a spotlight on these warm, one-of-a-kind people, just like the spice.  McCormick has already found some people named Cinnamon to share a special video message, inviting others with this name to join in the celebration of #CinnamonSeason.

McCormick is extending a special invitation to anyone with this unique name to join in the celebration on Friday, November 1st at the Dominique Ansel Bakery, where they will have a special place in line and be among the first to taste the limited-edition Cinnamon Brown Sugar Animal Crackers while supplies last.