Buffet table. Andrea Egger / Pixabay.com / 2010 / CC0 1.0
What’s happening when and where in the world of food: a calendar of special food days.
| January | May | September |
| February | June | October |
| March | July | November |
| April | August | December |
When's the last time you made a Baked Alaska — or, have you ever? With Baked Alaska Day once again upon us, it may be time to give it a try.
The 1st of February is St Brigid's Day. St Brigid is the patron saint of dairy in Ireland. Fresh butter would be churned, and some set on a window sill for her.
Setsubun is a day in Japan marking the end of winter, and the start of spring. It is observed between the 2nd and 4th of February. Roasted soybeans are thrown to chase away evil spirits and bring good luck.
February 2nd is Candlemas. It originally marked the day in the Bible when Mary went into the temple in Jerusalem to be purified with her newborn son. In France, crêpes are eaten after 8 pm in the evening.
Groundhog Day is the 2nd of February. If a groundhog sees its shadow on this day, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it does not, spring will be early.
The 3rd of February is Carrot Day, and there are so many ways to celebrate it! For lunch perhaps a bag of crunchy baby carrots along with a side-salad of grated carrot and raisin salad! And carrot cake for an afternoon snack!
Sweets (candy) and chocolate were rationed during World War Two in the United Kingdom, and did not come off ration until 4th February 1953.
The 4th of February is Homemade Soup Day, the day to try your hand at making some homemade soup. You may wish even to consider making enough so that you can freeze some of it for later.
The 4th of February is the birthday of the celebrity chef Alexis Soyer, born in 1810.
The 4th of February is Stuffed Mushroom Day. Who doesn't like stuffed mushrooms? Treat yourself, your family and / or friends to stuffed mushrooms today.
The Fornacalia was a Roman festival which started on or around the 5th of February. It was held in honour of Fornax, the goddess of ovens used to dry grain in.
There are probably some people who don't like the creamy combination of nuts and chocolate, but not many, and the 5th of February is the day to celebrate the combination in the form of the product named Nutella®.
The 6th of February is Chopsticks Day. It's a good excuse to go out for some Chinese food! If you have children, it could be a good day to introduce them to chopsticks!
The 6th of February is Frozen Yogurt Day. On this day, some places may give it out free, either to the first so many customers, or in small servings. You could even try making your own.
The first Sunday in February is Yorkshire Pudding Day. Yorkshires aren't just for beef anymore. These crispy, puffy delicacies are now appearing in many forms, anywhere from fast food wraps to desserts.
The 7th of February is a good day to blow up the myths about Fettuccine Alfredo. Its famous sauce is actually a by-product of cooking the pasta! Treat yourself to some today!
The 8th of February is Caffeine Day. Today was specifically chosen because it is the birthday the man who discovered caffeine in 1819.
The 8th of February is International Scotch Day. Scotch makers promote various new ways to enjoy Scotch, in mixed drinks, in cooking and straight up!
The 9th of February is Pizza Day. Order from your favourite pizzeria, or try a new one, or make your own at home, from scratch or a kit!
The 9th of February is a day for bagels, cream cheese and cured salmon slices.
The 10th of February is Cream Cheese Brownie Day. A cream cheese brownie is a very decadent combination of brownies and cheesecake, fudgy and cheesy at the same time.
On 11 February 1963, at 8 p.m, Julia Child's television series "The French Chef" first premiered. It would go on to transform American cooking and thinking about food.
The 11th of February is Peppermint Patty Day. You can eat them on their own out of hand as a snack, or use them in dessert recipes such as cookies, cakes and brownies.
Plum Pudding Day is the 12th of February. Maybe the day is for those who didn't get any plum pudding at Christmas.
13th of February is Tortini Day. Tortini can range from a chocolate cake with an oozing centre, to a savoury egg dish which is like a small quiche. So you have lots of choice to celebrate today!
On the 13th of February, the Ides of February, Romans would visit their relatives' tombs, and leave gifts of flowers, wine, bread crumbs, or a sprinkle of salt.
The 14th of February is that magic day, St Valentine's Day, when the price of everything on restaurant menus doubles.
The Wakefield Festival of Rhubarb is an annual eight-day festival in Yorkshire, England held in the middle of February to mark the arrival of the champagne rhubarb crop.
The 15th of February is Burger Lover's Day — and no one quite knows why.... But if you're in the Northern Hemisphere and hankering for a taste of summer, this could be your chance!
Collop Monday is two days before Ash Wednesday. It is a day to use up any meat in the fridge, serving it in thick slices called "collops."
Brose Day and later that day, Bannock Night, were food-related traditions held in Scotland on the same day as Shrove Tuesday.
Pączki Day is observed just shortly before the start of Lent. It celebrates the rich Polish deep-fried, filling-stuffed doughnuts that are made at this time of year.
It was forbidden to eat eggs during the period of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday tomorrow. The last of the eggs would often be used up in pancakes on this day, called Shrove Tuesday.
The 16th of February is Almond Day. This is approximately the time when almond trees start to blossom in California.
Lent is a period of fasting that takes place in the months leading up to Easter. Interestingly, alcohol was never on any lists of foods proscribe for the period, but milk was.
The 17th of February is Cabbage Day — a day to celebrate all things cabbagey!
The 17th of February is Café Au Lait Day. A café au lait, meaning literally "coffee with milk", is a French way of drinking coffee with a lot of milk in it. The typical ratio is half coffee, and half heated milk.
Ash Wednesday is the start of the fasting period known as Lent in the Christian Church yearly calendar. The day of Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance.
The 18th of February is Drink Wine Day. Try a wine you've never had before, splurge and treat yourself to an old favourite, or try making a recipe with wine!
The 19th of February is Chocolate Mint Day. It celebrates the combination of two flavours, chocolate, and mint.
On the 19th of February, 1906, William Keith Kellogg founded the Kellogg Cereal Company. Sadly, the story begins with a battle between two brothers.
Cherry Pie Day is the 20th of February. This day used to be on the 22nd of February to coincide with Washington's birthday, which makes a lot of sense, but for reasons unknown, it slid to the 20th. CooksInfo has uncovered the history on this.
The 21st of February is Sticky Bun Day. Learn what makes sticky buns different from similar gooey treats such as cinnamon buns and Chelsea buns.
The 22nd of February is Margarita Day. Celebrate the ever-popular 20th-century cocktail made from tequila, lime juice and an orange liqueur, and served in a salt-rimmed glass.
The 22nd of February is Cook A Sweet Potato Day. Today could be a good day to experiment with some unique ways to cook with them. And while you're at it, you can learn the difference between sweet potatoes and yams.
It's incredible how many people just let Banana Bread Day whiz right on by, without knowing what day it was. Life has just gotten too crazy! Banana bread is dead easy to make, and very forgiving.
Terminalia was a Roman festival held on the 23rd of February to honour Terminus, the god of boundaries. Neighbouring farmers would meet at the boundaries between their farms to feast with their friends and families.
The 23rd of February is St Milburga's Day. She caused water to spring out of a rock, and a farmer's barley harvest to grow all in one day. Simnel cakes were given out as treats on her day.
The 24th of February is Tortilla Chip Day. You can make your own if you have the time, or buy a bag. Don't forget the dips!
Toast Day is celebrated on the last Thursday in February. Today's challenge: have toast appear at every meal of the day, breakfast, lunch and dinner!
The 25th of February is Clam Chowder Day. There are at least 11 different styles that are made: why not try today a version you've never sampled before?
The 26th of February is the day to treat yourself to pistachios, and learn a little more about them. Many people already know that pistachios aren't naturally red, but why are they dyed at all?
The 26th of February is Fanny Cradock's Birthday. She was as famous for her eyebrows and her imperiousness as she was for the eye-watering luridness of her culinary creations.
The 27th of February is Kahlua Day. It celebrates the creamy, rum-based liquor from Mexico with the coffee flavour and a caffeine hit.
The 27th of February is Strawberry Day! Even if strawberries aren't in season where you are, there are lots of strawberry products on the market you can treat yourself to to remind yourself of the flavour that for many symbolizes the start of summer.
The 28th of February is Andalusia Day. It is celebrated in the Andalusia region on the southern coast of Spain with flamenco dancing, bullfighting, and gazpacho.