Sweet: Friday Is National Donut Day

It seems like there is a special day for just about everything these days, and the donut is no exception.

National Donut Day is Friday and in honor of their big day, donut shops across the nation will hand out free donuts to customers.

With , Dunkin' Donuts is on board with the holiday. For a free donut, you'll need to purchase a beverage (hot or cold), according to their "Behind the Beans" blog. You might want to do this in the morning. They say that they'll hand out one free donut of your choice "while supplies last." (Could Dunkin' Donuts ever really run out of donuts?)

While there's not a Krispy Kreme in the St. Andrews area, it might be worth the drive to the Cayce or Lexington locations to get a free donut, no strings attached. (Use their store locator to find Columbia locations.)

The donut chain is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and is offering a sweet deal: All you have to do is show up, no purchase necessary, for a free donut of your choice (one per customer).

The most popular donut at Krispy Kreme is the Original Glaze, also known as the "Hot Glaze." If you want to step outside your donut comfort zone, try Krispy Kreme's newest flavor: Key Lime Kreme Pie or Glazed Lemon Cake.

The national day itself, always celebrated on the first Friday of June each year, was established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to honor women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I.

The Salvation Army this year is teaming up with baking company Entenmann's to help celebrate National Donut Day; Entenmann's will donate proceeds from sales and offer customers a chance to win free donuts for a year, by entering a contest on its Facebook page. Entenmann's donuts can be found at area grocery stores.

Follow more National Donut Day doings on Twitter at: #DoughnutDay or #DonutDay. You can also visit donutdayusa.com.