That's a National Holiday? Really?!?



How do you plan to celebrate these food holidays?

When I was but a mere child, becoming lost and totally immersed in my own imaginative stirrings, I would daydream about the few days—aside from the elongated three-month stretch of summer—that we, as school-aged offspring, were spared from the rigors of homework, teachers, classrooms and the like. The few holidays that we had just didn’t seem to be enough.

Oh sure, I enjoyed the welcome respites that gave us a much needed break from the daily grind of learning—Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.—but those days weren’t nearly plentiful enough for me, nor for any other child whose acquaintance I had the pleasure (or sometimes displeasure) of making.

And then, as I grew older and made my way from elementary school to junior high school and then on to high school, I discovered that there were other holidays that existed. Certainly this was great news to uncover, however, these holidays had absolutely nothing to do with the shutting down of the entire school system for a week, let alone a paltry day or two. Valentine's Day. Columbus Day. Groundhog Day, for crying out loud. In the end, nobody gave a damn about these pitiful holidays.

As I moved forward in life and grew even older (ergo, present day, in my late 40’s and on the very cusp of the big 5-0), new discoveries seem to reveal themselves on an almost daily basis. Yes, there are many, many holidays across this broad country that have absolutely nothing to do with the closing of federal offices, time off from work or celebrations of any kind. I am almost ashamed to admit that, even though I took the time to research and unearth them, a great deal of these ‘holidays’ actually involve food on some level of clear absurdity.

Get out your calendars, folks; pull out your red pens, and get ready. Not only are there single holidays, but entire months devoted to food items of one sort or another. You are definitely going to want to mark these culinary celebratory causes down, if only for comical purposes. [This list is by no means exhaustive. There’s practically a bizarre food ‘holiday’ for every day of the year.]

January

National Hot Tea Month
National Soup Month

National Whipped Cream Day  ( 5^th )
National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day  ( 14^th )
National Cheese Lover’s Day  ( 20^th )
National Croissant Day  ( 30^th )

February

National Chocolate Month
National Snack Food Month

National Tortellini Day  ( 13^th )
National Margarita Day  ( 22^nd )
National Tortilla Chip Day  ( 24^th )

March

National Noodle Month

National Celery Month

National Poultry Day  ( 19^th )

Something on a Stick Day  ( 28^th )
National Cheese Doodle Day  ( 5^th )
National Clams on the Half Shell Day  ( 31^st )
National Potato Chip Day  ( 14^th )
National Waffle Day  ( 26^th )

April

National Soy Foods Month
National Fresh Celery Month

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day ( 2^nd)

National Cheeseball Day ( 17^th)

National Garlic Day ( 19^th )
National Pigs-in-a-blanket Day  ( 24^th )National Shrimp Scampi Day  ( 29^th )

May

National Barbecue Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month

Have a Coke Day  ( 8^th )
National Apple Pie Day ( 13^th)
National Escargot Day  ( 24^th )

June

National Iced Tea Month
National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month
Turkey Lover's Month

Kitchen Klutzes of America Day  ( 13^th )
Eat Your Vegetables Day ( 17^th )

July

National Baked Bean Month
National Ice Cream Month
National Hot Dog Month

National Fried Chicken Day  ( 6^th  )
National Caviar Day  ( 18^th )
National Chicken Wing Day  ( 29^th )
National Cheesecake Day  ( 30^th )

August

National Peach Month
National Catfish Month

National Watermelon Day ( 3^rd )
National Creamsicle Day ( 14^th )
National Bratwurst Day  ( 16^th )

 

September

National Mushroom Month
National Chicken Month

National Cheese Pizza Day  ( 5^th )
National Pancake Day ( 26^th  )
National Mulled Cider Day  ( 30^th )

October

Vegetarian Awareness Month
National Pickled Peppers Month
National Cookie Month
National Dessert Month
National Popcorn Poppin' Month
National Pretzel Month
National Seafood Month

World Vegetarian Day ( 1^st )
Moldy Cheese Day  ( 9^th )
National Dessert Day  ( 14^th)
National Nut Day  ( 22^nd )

November

National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month
National Pepper Month

National Deviled Egg Day  ( 2^nd )
National Harvey Wallbanger Day  ( 8^th )
National Scrapple Day  ( 9^th )
National Vichyssoise Day  ( 18^th )
National Sardines Day  ( 24^th )

December

Eat a Red Apple Day  ( 1^st )
National Fritters Day  ( 2^nd )
National Pastry Day  ( 9^th )
National Chocolate Covered Anything Day  ( 16^th )
National Hamburger Day  ( 21^st )
National Egg Nog Day  ( 24^th )
National Fruitcake Day  ( 27^th )
National Bicarbonate Soda Day  ( 30^th )

So what's your favorite food holiday?