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 |
This is it, the big day. All across America right now, people are visiting, phoning and emailing friends and neighbours to exchange their bread pudding recipes.
May Day celebrations were a big holiday during the Middle Ages. The trunks of very tall trees were used as May Poles and would be painted and decorated.
The 2nd of May is Truffles Day, celebrating the kind of truffles that are like mushrooms. You could plan a meal around them, or buy a bottle of truffle-flavoured oil.
The 5th of May commemorates a Mexican victory over the French army in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla.
The 7th of May is Roasted Leg of Lamb Day. You could spit-roast one on your backyard grill, or use today as an excuse to fire up the oven and have an all-out roast dinner.
The first American Mother's Day proclamation was in 1870 in Boston by a Julia Ward Howe. Her intent was that women's peace groups would use the day to call for disarmament and peace.
Shrimp Day is the 10th of May. It's a good reason to tuck into a good feed of shrimp, and to clear up some confusion over what's a shrimp, what's a scampi, what's a prawn.
It's hard to know why anyone would pick May for Apple Pie Day, when apples are not in season (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least) .
Shavuot is a Jewish harvest festival. It marks when the first harvests of wheat and fruit were brought to the Temple in Jerusalem.
St Honoré is the patron saint of bakers. He is also the patron saint of confectioners, pastry chefs, flour sellers, and candlemakers. #StHonoreDay
The 17th of May is Constitution Day in Norway. It is a very big event in Norway, celebrated even in small villages.
When's the last time you have Devil's Food Cake? Maybe Devil's Food Cake seems quaint now, but for decades, it was the big thing.
International Pickle Week is a 10-day long promotional period held in America each year, usually in May. It spans the American Memorial Day weekend, which is the start to summer in the US. #InternationalPickleWeek
The 21st of May is Strawberries 'n Cream Day. You can celebrate with fresh strawberries, or make up a dish by folding strawberry jam or thawed frozen strawberries into whipped cream.
The 22nd of May is Vanilla Pudding Day. You could celebrate by whipping one up from scratch, or cheating and using a powdered mix, or by just whipping open a "pudding cup" on the run.
The 23rd of May is Taffy Day. Treat yourself to some taffy today. You may even wish to try your hand at making some!
Escargot had their heyday in the 1970s, when everyone ate them with garlic butter and bought the Escargot dishes for home use.
The 24th of May is Victoria Day, celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday. It marks the unofficial opening to the summer foods season.
The 28th of May is Hamburger Day. Celebrating with a hamburger for lunch — or for dinner, maybe even making up a dish with hamburgers as the main ingredient. Recipes for this exist!