Walmart is giving away free doughnuts at locations across the United States on Friday, with as many as 1.2 million doughnuts up for grabs.

Other chains giving away doughnuts to celebrate National Donut Day include Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme.

National Donut Day is celebrated on the first Friday of June every year.



Walmart is giving away free doughnuts on Friday.

The retail giant says it plans to give away up to 1.2 million free glazed doughnuts on Friday, June 1, for National Donut Day 2018. Locations across the United States will be giving away the doughnuts while supplies last.

Walmart is not the only retailer offering National Donut Day deals in 2018. Dunkin' Donuts is giving away a free doughnut with the purchase of any beverage on Friday. And, Krispy Kreme is giving away one free doughnut to every customer who comes to stores on the holiday.

While food holidays have exploded in popularity in recent years and now dominate the American calendar, National Donut Day has a longer history than most other culinary celebrations.

The first National Donut Day was held in 1938 as a tribute to The Salvation Army's "Doughnut Lassies," who helped support the troops during World War I.

"After discovering that serving baked goods would be difficult considering the conditions of the huts and the limited rations, two volunteers — Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance — began frying donuts in soldiers' helmets," reads an article about the history of the holiday on The Salvation Army's website.

"These tasty treats boosted morale and won the hearts of many soldiers," the article continues. "Nicknamed 'Doughnut Lassies,' the women who served donuts to troops are often credited with popularizing the donut in the United States when the troops (nicknamed 'doughboys') returned home from war."

National Donut Day is celebrated on the first Friday in June every year.