Why Chick-Fil-A Is Responsible For This One Strange Holiday

Chick-fil-A had one of the most creative (and potentially disastrous) marketing ideas in fast-food history when it decided to use cows to market their menu, which interestingly doesn't have a single beef product on it.

Though the ad campaign is a bit dark if you think too much about it, the Chick-fil-A cows with their sloppily painted and consistently misspelled signs turned out to be a brilliant advertising decision. Since the first Chick-fil-A cow ad appeared on a billboard in Atlanta in 1995, the bovines have appeared at sports stadiums (via The Chicken Wire), on the side of water towers (via Southern Living), and even in their own annual calendar (via The Chicken Wire).

To celebrate the cows which have brought Chick-fil-A so much business and attention, company management decided to grant them their own special day – Cow Appreciation Day, which falls every year on July 9 (via Chick-fil-A).

According to the company's FAQ section, the day is meant to "show our customer appreciation and honors our iconic Eat More Chikin cows." The event has been held every year since the cow campaign was started in 1995.

How is this bizarre holiday celebrated? Every July 9, from the opening of a store to 7:00 PM, if a customer comes to any Chick-fil-A dressed like a cow, they will receive a free entree. Children, on the other hand, will receive a free kid's meal. Both breakfast and lunch options are available depending on what time of the day you visit.

The restaurant even holds a Cow Appreciation Day t-shirt contest among its staff, and the winning design is worn by 40,000 employees on the big day (via Chick-fil-A).

While some people go all out and dress from head to toe in black and white spots, (via Delish) the company notes that even wearing a cow accessory will earn you a free entree.