National Chicken Wing Day: The backstory behind the holiday, and the best bargains

NEW YORK - If ever you needed an excuse to eat chicken wings at all three meals, this is it.

July 29 marks National Chicken Wing Day, a holiday devoted to all things wings. Established in 1977 by Stan Makowski, the then-mayor of Buffalo, N.Y., the holiday originally celebrated Buffalonians’ penchant for consuming ''thousands of pounds of chicken wings” at restaurants every week, according to the New York Times. (The Anchor Bar, in Buffalo, is largely credited with being the inventor of the modern buffalo wing in 1964, although other restaurateurs in the area have challenged that claim.)

Today, however, buffalo wings are celebrated far outside of Buffalo, N.Y. — which, it should be noted, didn’t even have its own Buffalo Wing Festival until a 2001 Bill Murray film mentioned the then-fictional event.

“The idea for the festival came from a movie called ‘Osmosis Jones,’” the official National Buffalo Wing Festival website states. “Bill Murray starred as a compulsive eater with a goal of attending the Super Bowl of junk food, The National Buffalo Wing Festival. Ironically, there wasn’t one.”

And now that they’re properly appreciated, and celebrated, far and wide, it’s time to find out where to get your fix:

Applebee's is offering buy one, get one free deals on any to-go or delivery wing order. Just add WINGDAY code at checkout

Customers who order pick-up at Buffalo Wild Wings can get six free wings with the purchase of any other order of wings -- boneless or traditional

Dine-in customers can tuck in to 10 free boneless wings with the purchase of any 10 wings at participating Hooters restaurants nationwide. Wing fans are also invited to vote for their favorite style, drums or flats, with the loser getting taken off the menu.

Pluckers is celebrating its anniversary with a week of deals, culminating in $0.75 wings and $1 Bud Lights on July 29.

Anyone using the promo code 5FREEWINGS will get just that — five free extra wings — added to any Wingstop wing order purchased at regular price. Wingstop will also donate $1 from every order to charity, so long as it’s placed with the promo code.

Wings N More is offering $0.75 wings all day.