Today is the one day a year to nationally celebrate the flaky goodness of your favorite pastry: croissants.

Croissants have been baked for centuries, with the Austrian Kipferl dating back to the 13th century. They were brilliantly perfected in 1939 by August Zang from Austria when he opened a Viennese bakery in Paris, France.

Croissants are baked by laminating, or folding, the buttery dough into layers. This is the process that gives the pastry the light, fluffy layers.

Finding a local bakery croissant is surprisingly faster than saying “Stop, I could’ve dropped my croissant.” Elleson’s Bakery in Sycamore offers freshly baked croissants. Starbucks also carries croissants topped with chocolate, butter, almonds, pistachio and honey or ham and cheese.

If you want to enjoy the classic taste of croissants for less, Pillsbury crescent rolls never fail to impress. For a twist on the pastry, try dipping croissants in chocolate fondue for a rich dessert.

Today is your excuse to splurge on dessert, so use it! Share your croissant photo to social media using #NationalCroissantDay.