Do you remember celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. in school? Perhaps the gravity of his life never hit home for many of us – we were just kids, after all. However, the lessons Dr. King (and primary school) taught us can still be applied today.

In this post, we’ll cover a brief history of Martin Luther King’s life, some of his favorite foods you can cook up in honor of him, and a drink that might go well with this meal. Let’s dive in and learn a little bit more about the legendary Martin Luther King Jr. and ask “why do we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?”

Who Was Martin Luther King Jr.?

Martin Luther King Jr. (sometimes shortened to MLK or Dr. King) was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His given name at birth was Michael King Jr., and he was the middle child with two other siblings, an older sister (Christine King Farris) and a younger brother (Alfred Daniel King). 

Dr. King’s family consisted of pastors and sharecroppers, and Dr. King’s father visited many places while abroad on mission trips. During one of these trips, King Sr. visited German locations that were associated with Martin Luther, a Reformation leader. When his father returned home from this trip, he changed both his and his son’s (who was five at the time) names to “Martin Luther” and dropped the name “Michael.”

Dr. King’s early life is full of stories highlighting the unfair treatment of our Black American peers, and it wasn’t even that long ago. These stories were from less than one hundred years ago, reminding us that, while we’ve come pretty far, we still have hurdles to overcome today.

Why Do We Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

So, why do we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by Christian beliefs and Mahatma Gandhi to lead non-violent resistances and protests against the laws of his time. This was a time of deep-seated discrimination and open racism that stretched from young to old.

We celebrate MLK Day because Dr. King was a pivotal speaker that brought his “I Have a Dream” speech right up to the Lincoln Memorial. Dr. King changed America as we know it today, sparking a revolution in legislation that brought us the Civil Rights Act (1946), the Voting Rights Act (1965), and the Fair Housing Act (1968).

But MLK’s contributions didn’t just stop there. He was also responsible for uniting a group of people together against a common issue without violence – something we could certainly learn from today. There are many lessons to be learned from Dr. King’s speeches, regardless of our skin color.

The History of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first celebrated in America in 1971 and became a federal holiday in 1986, but wasn’t celebrated in all fifty states until 2000. Ronald Reagan signed the national holiday into legislation himself. Now, we have many streets that have been renamed to honor him, and a Memorial, which resides on the National Mall, went up in 2011.

When Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is always on a Monday between January 15th and January 21st. This holiday is always the third Monday in January, every year. For example, in 2023, MLK Day was on January 16th, and it will be on January 15th in 2024. In 2025, MLK day will be on January 20th.

How Can I Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

There are many different ways to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day – but remember, he stood for so much that doesn’t get celebrated until February. That doesn’t mean we can’t take a moment to remember, appreciate, and do better every day of the year. Check out the following ideas, or come up with your own!

Cook Up Martin Luther King’s Favorite Meal

According to Luther’s family and friends, Dr. King loved to eat fried chicken, pickled pigs’ feet and eggs, smothered steak, homemade macaroni and cheese, quilly, and pecan pie. If you want to celebrate  with a meal and dessert, these are all great options! You might have trouble getting the family to eat pickled pigs’ feet, though!

Read or Watch One of MLK’s Speeches

Martin Luther King Jr. was known for his charismatic speeches. It was evident from the way he spoke that he was passionate about these topics. You can see all of Dr. King’s speeches on this website to learn more about him: 35 Speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr. on Audio & Video.

Go to a Local MLK Parade

Another thing you can do to learn more and show your support is by attending a parade. This is especially a great thing to do with kids – it opens up the conversation about who Martin Luther King Jr. was and what he did for America.

Watch a Documentary

There have been many documentaries created that teach more about the life of MLK throughout the years. Here are a few that might pique your interest:

1. Selma (2014)
2. MLK/FBI (2020)
3. King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis (1969)
4. Our Friend, Martin (1999)
5. Boycott (2001)

Mix Up a Drink in His Honor by drinking Martin Luther King’s Favorite Drink: Screwdriver

We have no explicit record of what MLK’s favorite drink was, but one source suggests that he had a good screwdriver every once and a while. So, if you want to mix up a drink in his honor, a screwdriver is probably as good as it gets!

To make a screwdriver, you’ll need orange juice, ice, and vodka – it’s an incredibly simple mixed drink to make. Some recipes suggest a 1:4 ratio of vodka to orange juice, while others make it stronger. It’s really up to you how you make your drink, of course!

Distillery Nearby: Find Local Craft Spirits for Your MLK Day Celebration

Here at Distillery Nearby, our goal is to make it easy and fast for you to find local distilleries near you. This way, you can support local distilleries as you prepare for any celebrations or remembrance parties you throw – regardless of the holiday! Plus, we’ve also covered some Black-owned distilleries that you might be interested in supporting for MLK day or Black History Month.