Bourdain Day
June 25
About Bourdain Day
Bourdain Day is an annual tribute to the chef, author, and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain, marked every year on 25 June, the date of his birthday. It was created in 2019 by his close friends and fellow chefs Eric Ripert and Jose Andres, who invited people around the world to raise a glass in his memory. The day has grown into a global celebration of Bourdain’s curiosity, his love of food, and the way he travelled.
The Story Behind Bourdain Day
Anthony Michael Bourdain was born in New York City on 25 June 1956. He found his way into professional kitchens almost by accident, washing dishes at a seafood restaurant during his college years before deciding that the chaos and camaraderie of the line was where he belonged. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978 and spent the next two decades cooking in New York restaurants, eventually becoming executive chef at the Manhattan brasserie Les Halles.
His life changed in 1999, when The New Yorker published an essay he had written about the hidden realities of restaurant kitchens. A year later that essay grew into the book that made his name, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. With its dark humour, brutal honesty, and obvious love of the trade, the book became a New York Times bestseller and turned a working chef into a literary voice that readers trusted.
Television followed. Bourdain hosted A Cook’s Tour on the Food Network, then No Reservations and The Layover for the Travel Channel, and finally Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown for CNN from 2013. Across these programmes he travelled the world not as a tourist but as a guest, sitting down at street stalls and family tables to understand a place through what its people ate. He won a Peabody Award for Parts Unknown and received an honorary doctorate from the Culinary Institute of America in 2017.
Bourdain died on 8 June 2018 while filming in France. The loss was felt far beyond the food world. The following year, rather than let the anniversary of his death become the moment people remembered him, Eric Ripert and Jose Andres chose his birthday instead. They asked everyone who admired him to lift a glass on 25 June and share the moment online. The first Bourdain Day, in 2019, would have been his 63rd birthday, and the idea has been repeated every year since.
When and Where is Bourdain Day Celebrated?
Bourdain Day falls on Thursday, 25 June 2026. The date never changes, as it marks Anthony Bourdain’s birthday. Although it began among American chefs, it is observed internationally, reflecting the global audience that followed his travels. Restaurants, home cooks, and fans across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and beyond take part, often in whatever way feels most personal to them.
Traditions and Customs
The customs of Bourdain Day are deliberately simple, in keeping with the man it honours. There is no official ceremony, only an invitation to do the kind of thing Bourdain enjoyed.
- Raising a glass – The founding ritual is to toast Tony with a drink of your choosing, film or photograph the moment, and share it with the hashtag #BourdainDay. Ripert and Andres started this as a way to connect admirers everywhere in a single shared gesture.
- Eating somewhere new – Many people mark the day by trying an unfamiliar restaurant or a cuisine they have never sampled, echoing Bourdain’s belief that curiosity at the table opens doors to whole cultures.
- Cooking from his books – Fans turn to his Les Halles Cookbook or Appetites and cook a dish from scratch, treating the kitchen the way he did, with respect for the craft.
- Watching his work – Settling in for an episode of No Reservations or Parts Unknown has become a quiet way to spend the evening and remember his voice.
- Supporting mental health causes – Some choose to donate to or volunteer with suicide prevention organisations, holding space for the harder side of his story while still celebrating his life.
Ways to Celebrate Bourdain Day
However you choose to take part, the spirit of the day rewards openness and appetite more than ceremony.
- Toast Tony and share it – Pour a beer, a glass of wine, or a negroni, raise it to Bourdain, and post the moment with #BourdainDay so it joins the worldwide tribute.
- Walk somewhere unfamiliar – Explore a neighbourhood you have never visited and find a place to eat there, letting the surroundings guide your choice rather than a guidebook.
- Visit a local market – Wander a farmers’ market or food hall, talk to the vendors, gather fresh ingredients, and build a meal around what looks good, a ritual Bourdain returned to again and again.
- Cook a recipe from his cookbooks – Pick a dish from one of his books and take your time with it, the way he insisted good food deserves.
- Host a shared meal – Gather friends for a long, unhurried dinner, the kind of table where conversation matters as much as the food. If you enjoy the idea of a communal meal, you might also like The Big Lunch, which brings neighbours together over food each summer.
- Watch and read his work – Revisit an episode of Parts Unknown or reread a chapter of Kitchen Confidential to spend time with his writing and his way of seeing the world.
Facts and Figures
- Anthony Bourdain was born on 25 June 1956 and died on 8 June 2018 at the age of 61.
- Bourdain Day was first held in 2019, on what would have been his 63rd birthday.
- It was created by chefs Eric Ripert and Jose Andres, two of Bourdain’s closest friends.
- Kitchen Confidential, published in 2000, became a New York Times bestseller and remains his best known book.
- Parts Unknown won a Peabody Award, and Bourdain received an honorary doctorate from the Culinary Institute of America in 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bourdain Day?
Bourdain Day is an annual celebration of the life and legacy of chef, author, and travel host Anthony Bourdain. Founded by Eric Ripert and Jose Andres in 2019, it invites people to raise a glass in his honour and share the moment online.
When is Bourdain Day in 2026?
Bourdain Day takes place on Thursday, 25 June 2026. The date is fixed because it marks Anthony Bourdain’s birthday.
Why is Bourdain Day held on his birthday rather than the day he died?
Eric Ripert deliberately chose 25 June because the anniversary of Bourdain’s death was a sorrowful date. Marking his birthday instead keeps the focus on celebrating his contributions and the joy he found in food and travel.
Spread the Word
Share Bourdain Day with your community using #BourdainDay and #BourdainDay2026. Whether you raise a glass, cook a favourite recipe, or simply seek out a meal somewhere new, every gesture helps keep his spirit of curiosity alive.
Related Awareness Days
- Sustainable Gastronomy Day – A celebration of food as a window into culture and place, a theme close to everything Bourdain explored.
- The Big Lunch – A day built around sharing food with others, echoing Bourdain’s belief in the table as a meeting point.
- World Wellbeing Week – A reminder to look after mental health, reflecting the conversations Bourdain’s story continues to prompt.
Links
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