National Bean Day

National Bean Day takes place on January 6th and is the best date to cook delicious, warming food. The holiday is also dedicated to the geneticist Gregor Mendel, who made a great contribution to science. Find out more!

History

Gregor thoroughly studied Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,” but many questions remained. For experiments, he chose a plant that almost does not produce hybrids—garden peas. Before him, botanists used different varieties of melons and cloves. Getting hybrids turned out to be very simple—the researcher carefully opened the unripe flower with tweezers, plucked the stamens, and pollinated with the pollen of another variety.

The experiments were carried out for more than eight years! He received about 10 hybrids. It is noteworthy that for each of them he made passports with detailed information. In 1865, he formed a report in which he explained the pattern of the return of hybrid forms to parental characteristics. True, the Brunn Society of Naturalists was skeptical about his works—he read them in complete silence and did not receive a single question. In the future, the scientist was even given the nickname “botanical mathematician.”

Thirty years after Mendel’s death in 1884, the laws of inheritance still came in handy: they were rediscovered by several biologists at once. Contemporaries call Gregor the father of genetics, his principles are studied in all countries, and the National Day is. It is worth opening any textbook of biology, and you will definitely find a picture of crossing different varieties of peas.

Interesting Facts

Did you know that beans:

• grow in almost every corner of the planet—there are 24,000 species;
• the simplest species appeared 65 million years ago;
• have been a staple in ancient cultures;
• can contain toxins when raw;
• do not need soil fertilization.

How to Celebrate

On National Bean Day, learn about Mendel’s work and share your thoughts. Spend the evening deliciously: try different varieties—there are a lot of them! Find recipes that you can cook. Tell others about the beneficial properties of beans. Watch “Jack and the Beanstalk” again.

When is National Bean Day in 2025?

National Bean Day is observed on January 6 each year.

Observations