National Honey Month

National Honey Month is observed throughout September as a celebration of honey, the hardworking bees that produce it, and the beekeepers who help sustain healthy hives. This sweet observance highlights honey’s many varieties, flavors, and culinary uses while recognizing its long-standing place in food traditions around the world.

Throughout the month, people can enjoy local honey, learn more about pollinators, visit a beekeeper or farmers market, and explore recipes that showcase honey’s natural sweetness. National Honey Month is also a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the important role bees play in supporting ecosystems and agriculture—and to consider simple ways to protect these essential pollinators.

National Honey Month is observed throughout September to recognize honey, beekeeping, and the important role of honeybees in agriculture. In the United States, the observance is generally traced to the National Honey Board, which established it in 1989 as a way to promote honey and increase public awareness of the beekeeping industry. September was a fitting choice because it coincides with the end of the major summer honey harvest in many parts of the country, when beekeepers assess their colonies and prepare them for the colder months.

The observance has roots in a much older human relationship with honey. Ancient peoples gathered honey from wild colonies long before organized beekeeping developed, and archaeological evidence shows that honey was valued as food, medicine, and a religious offering in societies including ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China. Honey’s ability to preserve food and its use in traditional remedies helped give it significance beyond that of an ordinary sweetener. Over time, beekeeping became more systematic, particularly after advances such as movable-frame hives made it easier to manage colonies without destroying them.

In the United States, honey production expanded alongside agriculture and the development of commercial beekeeping. Honeybees became especially important not only for producing honey and beeswax but also for pollinating crops. As National Honey Month evolved, its focus broadened from promoting honey consumption to highlighting the work of beekeepers, the variety of regional honeys, responsible hive management, and the importance of pollinators to food production. Educational programs and seasonal activities often encourage people to learn how honey is harvested, compare floral varieties, and support local apiaries.

Culturally, National Honey Month connects an everyday food with the natural systems and skilled labor behind its production. It provides an opportunity to appreciate honey’s distinctive flavors and historical uses while drawing attention to habitat loss, pesticides, parasites, disease, and other pressures affecting honeybees and other pollinating insects. Although the observance began as an industry-supported promotional effort, it has developed into a broader September tradition involving beekeepers, farmers, educators, food producers, and consumers. (Source: [National Today](https://nationaltoday.com/national-honey-month/))