Laura Smith
Yes, there are multiple mushroom days celebrated around the world. National Mushroom Day is celebrated on October 15. It is meant for mushroom farmers, restaurants, cafes, and health professionals to enjoy and celebrate everything related to growing and eating mushrooms. The Day of the Mushroom is celebrated on April 16 and is a time for mycophiles around the world to share their appreciation for these delightful decomposers. Additionally, September 20 is a day of Psilocybin Education and Awareness dedicated to Magic Mushrooms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 15 October, 2025 |
| Other dates | 16 April, 2026; 20 September |
| History | Magic mushrooms have their own holiday on 20 September, established in 2015 by Nicholas Reville, a mushroom advocate from Providence, Rhode Island. |
| How to celebrate | Eat mushrooms, cook with mushrooms, go mushroom picking, raise awareness about the benefits of mushrooms to people and the earth |
| Mushroom types | Portobello, shiitake, button, truffle, morel, chanterelle, Laetiporus |
| Fun facts | Mushrooms are fleshy spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi; there are more than 14,000 different species of mushrooms that grow around the world; some mushrooms are bioluminescent and glow in the dark |
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What You'll Learn
National Mushroom Day is celebrated on October 15
National Mushroom Day is celebrated on 15 October. The day is dedicated to celebrating the delicate and curious mushroom, which has been used in cuisine and medicine for thousands of years. With more than 14,000 different species of mushrooms growing worldwide, this unassuming food deserves to be celebrated and appreciated.
National Mushroom Day is particularly aimed at mushroom farmers, restaurants, cafes, and health professionals to raise awareness of the benefits of mushrooms for both people and the planet. Mushrooms are not only delicious and nutritious but are also one of the most sustainably produced foods globally. They are low in calories and contain a wide variety of nutrients that are part of a healthy and balanced diet.
There are many ways to celebrate National Mushroom Day. One can buy and eat mushrooms, adding them to a salad, soup, stir-fry, or a burger, or simply sautéing or steaming them. For those who enjoy the great outdoors, one can go mushroom picking with friends and family. However, it is important to note that many mushrooms found in the woods are not edible, so it is crucial to check online before consuming any wild mushrooms.
Mushrooms have a long history, with evidence of their use by various ancient cultures, including the Ancient Greeks, Mayans, Chinese, and Vikings. They were also prized in classical Greece and Rome, with authors like Pliny the Elder, Aristotle, and the Roman philosopher Galen writing about them. China and Japan were likely the first places to cultivate mushrooms as early as 600 AD. Today, China produces around half of all farmed edible mushrooms globally, with an estimated 194,000 tonnes of yearly mushroom exports from Poland in 2014.
In addition to National Mushroom Day on 15 October, there are other days dedicated to celebrating mushrooms. The Day of the Mushroom is celebrated annually on 16 April, and 20 September is recognised as a Day of Psilocybin Education and Awareness dedicated to Magic Mushrooms.
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Day of the Mushroom is celebrated on April 16
The Day of the Mushroom is celebrated on April 16. It is a day for mycophiles around the world to share their appreciation for these delightful decomposers. Mushrooms come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors, and they can be used in a myriad of recipes, from soups and stews to pasta and pizzas, and even tea!
The Day of the Mushroom is an American holiday created to celebrate the mushroom and its health and ecological benefits. Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced anywhere above ground or on soil. Some mushrooms are safe for human consumption and taste good. It is a good idea to go mushroom hunting on the Day of the Mushroom. Mushrooms can be found in your yard or the woods, depending on various factors.
Mushrooms have been consumed by humans regularly, which has greatly boosted the agricultural and agro-economic development of the areas where they are grown. Around half of all farmed edible mushrooms are produced in China, which also accounts for six pounds of yearly mushroom consumption per person among the world's 1.4 billion inhabitants. Poland was the leading exporter of mushrooms in 2014, with an estimated 194,000 tonnes of yearly edible mushroom exports.
There is also proof that various ancient cultures, including the Ancient Greeks, the Mayans, the Chinese, and the Vikings, among many others, used hallucinogenic mushrooms. Mushrooms are said to have been cultivated as early as 600 AD in Japan and China. The popular American cookbook "The Virginia Housewife" mentions mushrooms for the first time in America in 1824. Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, an American staple for casserole recipes, was created in the 1930s.
While the Day of the Mushroom celebrates the culinary and health benefits of mushrooms, there are also days dedicated to the psychedelic variety. September 20 is a day of Psilocybin Education and Awareness, inspired by the cannabis holiday of 4/20. It was established in 2015 by Nicholas Reville, a mushroom advocate from Providence, Rhode Island, as an "educational day of action." The day aims to build dialogue around the benefits of psilocybin, the main psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms.
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Magic mushrooms have their own holiday on September 20
The day was inspired by 4/20, the international cannabis holiday, and 4/19, or Bicycle Day, the anniversary of when chemist Albert Hofmann first intentionally took LSD and rode his bike through Basel, Switzerland. The autumnal celebration for psilocybin entered the lexicon of psychonauts in 2015 when Nicholas Reville, a mushroom advocate from Providence, Rhode Island, dubbed September 20 an "educational day of action". The date was chosen because it is at the beginning of autumn, when mushrooms are most plentiful, and because it is close to the equinox, representing a change in direction.
While magic mushrooms are still considered a Schedule I drug by the DEA, psilocybin is following a similar trajectory to cannabis in terms of legalisation. At the federal level, synthetic psilocybin used in conjunction with psychotherapy has been placed on the FDA's fast track to become a prescription medication for major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression.
There is already a robust underground market for psilocybin products, including microdosable capsules and chocolates, and dried mushrooms of varying psychedelic species. In addition to 9/20, there are other proposed dates for a magic mushroom holiday. For example, Travis Tyler Fluck, field coordinator for Decriminalize Denver, has been trying to designate May 8 as a holiday to commemorate the day the county decriminalised psilocybin.
In addition to the magic mushroom holiday on September 20, there are other mushroom-themed days such as National Mushroom Day on October 15 and Day of the Mushroom on April 16. These days celebrate the culinary and medicinal uses of mushrooms and provide an opportunity to learn about the different varieties of mushrooms and their health and ecological benefits.
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Mushrooms are fleshy spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi
The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. However, the term is also used to describe the fleshy fruiting bodies of some Ascomycota. Forms deviating from the standard morphology usually have more specific names, such as "bolete", "truffle", "puffball", "stinkhorn", and "morel".
Mushrooms develop from a nodule, or pinhead, called a primordium, which is typically found on or near the surface of the substrate. The primordium enlarges into a roundish structure of interwoven hyphae, resembling an egg, called a "button". As the egg expands, the universal veil ruptures and may remain as a cup, or volva, at the base of the stalk. Many mushrooms lack a universal veil and, therefore, do not have a volva.
The delineation between edible and poisonous fungi is not always clear, and a "mushroom" may be edible, poisonous, or unpalatable. Toadstool generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. However, identifying what is and is not a mushroom requires a basic understanding of their macroscopic structure. Most are basidiomycetes and gilled, with gills that produce spores called basidiospores.
There are several days dedicated to celebrating mushrooms. National Mushroom Day is celebrated on October 15. Day of the Mushroom, an American holiday, is celebrated on April 16. There is also a day dedicated to psychedelic mushrooms, falling on September 20.
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Mushrooms are healthy, nutritious, and sustainably produced
Mushrooms are a nutritious and healthy food with a wide range of culinary and medicinal uses. They are a staple in vegetarian diets due to their hearty consistency and nutritional value. They can be used as a meat substitute in many dishes, such as burgers, soups, and omelets.
Mushrooms are a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which contribute to heart health and may help prevent certain types of cancer and diabetes. They are also low in calories and fat, making them a healthy addition to any diet.
The health benefits of mushrooms have been recognized for thousands of years in traditional and folk medicine. They are known for their healing and cleansing properties, as well as their ability to create savory rich flavors called umami. Mushrooms are also said to have been cultivated as early as 600 AD in Japan and China, and they were prized in classical Greece and Rome.
Today, China is one of the top producers of mushrooms worldwide, accounting for about half of all farmed edible mushrooms. Mushrooms are also produced in the United States, with some manufacturers exposing mushrooms to ultraviolet light to increase their vitamin D content.
Mushrooms are not only nutritious and healthy but also sustainably produced. They are easy to grow at home and can be found in the wild, although caution is needed when foraging for wild mushrooms to ensure they are safe for consumption. With their delicious taste, versatility in recipes, and impressive health benefits, mushrooms are indeed a superfood to be celebrated on National Mushroom Day, which falls on October 15.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there is a day dedicated to mushrooms. It is called the Day of the Mushroom or National Mushroom Day and is celebrated on April 16. It is a day for mycophiles around the world to share their appreciation for these delightful decomposers.
There are many ways to celebrate National Mushroom Day. You can eat mushrooms, cook with them, or go mushroom picking. You can also raise awareness about the health and ecological benefits of mushrooms.
Yes, there are a few other days dedicated to mushrooms. September 20 is a Day of Psilocybin Education and Awareness dedicated to Magic Mushrooms. There is also National Mushroom Day on October 15. Additionally, there is a movement to designate May 8 as a holiday for mushrooms, at least in Denver, to commemorate the day the county decriminalized psilocybin.
