How this sweet treat came to be and the various ways to celebrate it

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Courtesy: Cecelia Koparanyan
Copyright Courtesy: Cecelia Koparanyan
Published on
25/03/2026 - 18:04 GMT+1
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Waffles are consider a sweet delicious delicacy in large parts of Scandinavia, but did you know that this day of worldwide celebration has its roots in religion
Waffle lovers around the world have been given extra incentive, if needed, to indulge in the sugary goodness of a delicious waffle, and they have the Swedes to thank for this!

International Waffle Day celebrated on 25 March originated in the Scandinavian country.

The Feast of Annunciation, also on 25 March, is an important religious occasion amongst Christians because it marks when the archangel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary and told her she was to be the mother of Jesus Christ
The religious day is also known as “Our Lady’s Day,” which in Swedish is “vårfrudagen.” When said aloud, this sounds extremely similar to the Swedish word for waffle: “våffeldagen.”
And thus, Swedes began referring to this day as Waffle Day, which went international because of a widely recognised universal love for waffles, although nowadays, most people choose to eat waffles rather than celebrate the religious occasion.

Waffles from around the world
With more than two dozen types of waffles worldwide, there are plenty of ways to celebrate this special day for waffles
If you are looking to stay true to International Waffle Day’s origins, try a Swedish waffle
These waffles are heart shaped and typically served with fruit, whipped cream or ice cream
Unlike the popular Belgian waffle, Swedish ones do not contain yeast
This makes the waffles thinner and have a texture more similar to pancakes.

There is also the stroopwafel, which is a traditional Dutch treat
The name translates to “syrup waffle” in English, accurately describing this unique type of waffle
It is made with two thin, crispy waffle-like cookies sandwiched together with caramel syrup
Another special type of waffle is an egg or bubble waffle
This type of waffle comes from Hong Kong, where it is an iconic street food
The spherical egg-waffles are described as crisp in texture and vanilla in flavor
The “bubbles” can be broken off for snacking, or the waffle can form a cone to easily hold toppings
Brussels waffle versus Liège waffle
The most popular type of waffle globally is the Belgian waffle
But there are actually two different types of Belgian waffles: the Brussels waffle and the Liège waffle.

FILE: Mashed potato waffles from Thanksgiving leftovers in San Francisco, California, November 2015
Liz Hafalia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
The Brussels waffle originally came from Ghent, Belgium, but it eventually made its way to the capital city and became an icon
This waffle is rectangular-shaped, light and sweet
The Liège waffle comes from a city in Belgium’s Wallonia region with the same name
This waffle is a round shape with dense dough
Liège's waffle is made using Belgian pearl sugar, which is not used in the Brussels waffle
Because of this, Liège waffles are considered sweeter than Brussels waffles, and they are often eaten without any toppings.

Sebastien Nyssen, manager of the waffle shop Capoue, said the main difference between the two waffles is the sugar used to make it
“It’s already [has] enough sugar, and we don’t need to add anything to make it more tasty,” said Nyssen.

Because there are typically no toppings on Liège waffles, they are easy to eat on-the-go
Brussels waffles, on the other hand, are often eaten sitting down at a table using a knife and fork
It is also more common to put toppings on Brussels waffles because they are lighter and not as sugary as the Liège ones
You can often find Brussels waffles topped with powdered sugar, whipped cream, caramel or chocolate sauce, or even ice cream.

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