Taco Bell Has Officially Rescheduled National Taco Day — Here’s When to Celebrate

Taco Bell wants you to mark your calendar for the all-new National Taco Day date. 

On Tuesday, the fast food chain announced it has successfully lobbied to move National Taco Day from October 4 to October 1 in 2024, with support from the National Day Calendar. This way, the brand says, it also falls on Taco Tuesday.

“For years, we’ve celebrated National Taco Day on October 4, but it’s always felt like there was a bigger opportunity to align it with something even more special — Taco Tuesday,” Marlo Anderson, founder of National Day Calendar, shared in a statement provided to Food & Wine “Thanks to Taco Bell’s efforts, we’re excited to officially move National Taco Day to the first Tuesday in October, creating the Taco Tuesday of all Taco Tuesdays. National Day Calendar has always thrived on the grassroots support of people who love celebrating these moments, and this change is a perfect example of that. It’s more than just moving a date — it’s about bringing taco lovers together in a bigger way, and we couldn’t be more excited!”

This isn’t the first time the National Taco Day date has changed.

Taco Bell pointed to the 2012 book, “Tacos USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America,” by Gustavo Arellano, which explains that the day originated in the ’60s in San Antonio, Texas, and was locally celebrated on May 3. However, the celebration slowly faded into obscurity until 2009, when several businesses rallied together to bring it back on October 4.

But, as Taco Bell noted, since then, it’s only been celebrated on a Tuesday four times, which, frankly, feels like a crime. 

The move is also a way for Taco Bell to celebrate its other legal victory. In 2023, it also filed legal action to cancel the trademark registration for the phrase “Taco Tuesday,” but not just for itself. Its victory ensured all businesses could use the term rights-free. 

“When we liberated Taco Tuesday last year, we did it for all who make, sell, eat, and celebrate tacos, but we couldn’t just stop there,” Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell’s chief marketing officer, added. “With National Taco Day coming up, it felt unnatural for it to not fall on a Tuesday, and as some of the biggest advocates of Taco Tuesday out there, we knew we had to help shift the holiday permanently to give taco makers and lovers the opportunity to celebrate bigger and better every year.”

Naturally, Taco Bell is planning a massive celebration for the new day, kicking off a flurry of deals on October 1 that will last all month long. It’s encouraging fans to stay up to date via their Taco Bell Rewards app and for everyone to follow on social channels for all the updates.