Celebrating Pineapple Day: Facts And Fun Ideas For Everyone

Today is International Pineapple Day.

I've always loved pineapples, America's third-most popular fruit (apple in No. 1, banana is No. 2).

Eating a pineapple is as close in nature as you can get to eating candy.

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And combined with yesterday's "National Coconut Day," a Pina Colada is clearly in order (make mine a virgin Pina Colada).

Pineapples are famous in pop culture ("Who lives in a pineapple under the sea ..."), music (who doesn't love Rupert Holmes's 1979 hit "Escape," more affectionately known as "The Pina Colada Song") and even movies (Pineapple Express).

And while the debate rages on as to whether the sweet and juicy fruit belongs on pizza (I'm a 'No' on that one), pineapples still remain an American favorite.

Hawaii was the first to really grasp the potential of pineapples, growing them in large volume in the 1800s, though the fruit is actually from South America.

Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality, and it is considered good luck to give someone a pineapple.

Kitchen guru Martha Stewart advises picking a heavy pineapple that smells sweet -- they are ripe when they're picked, unlike many other fruits.

Pineapple Party

Daysoftheyear.com recommends throwing a pineapple party on this day, complete with pineapple decorations (although don't hang them upside-down, but that's a whole other story), using arts and crafts to make pineapple sculptures, drawings or other designs, trading pineapple recipes with friends, or even doing some pineapple research online.

To get you started, here are some pineapple facts:

A pineapple can take up to three years to grow and mature into a plant
Each pineapple plant produces just one fruit per year
Technically, a pineapple is a mass of individual berries fused to a central stalk.
Del Monte makes a "carbon free" pineapple
Pineapples are referenced in literature dating back to the 1300s
Americans consume about eight pounds of pineapple EACH per year
Del Monte also produces a Pinkglow pineapple, with pink (rather than yellow) flesh
International Pineapple Day has its own Facebook page

In Southern Utah, you can find pineapple toppings at any local pizza place, plus most restaurants with salad bars offer pineapple tidbits as an option.

And of course, grocery stores offer pineapples in their fruit departments.

However, for a special treat, head over to Digby's Market and grab yourself a Pineapple Dole Whip soft serve.

You won't be sorry!