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. Celebrate these food holidays with suggested activities and recipes, learn about the history, literature and lore behind these delicious days and explore the links for further learning! Many of the food calendar days also contain additional links to resource kits.
| January | May | September |
| February | June | October |
| March | July | November |
| April | August | December |
The 1st of November is All Saint's Day in Mexico, the first of two days to honour the dead focusses on children and babies. Candy and chocolate in the shape of skulls and dead people is a popular food item.
The 1st of November is Vinegar Day. You can hold a vinegar tasting, or make a vinegar pie, or put vinegar on your French fries.
The 1st of November marks the start of the festival of Magosto, celebrating the chestnut harvest. It is observed in northern Spain and Portugal.
All Saints' Day is the 1st of November. In many cultures, it is a day to visit family graves, clean them up, and leave flowers and small food gifts on the tombs.
With the distraction of Hallowe'en at the end of October, Devilled Egg Day, on the 2nd of November, catches many people unprepared for it.
November 2nd is All Souls Day in Mexico, the second day of Día de los Muertos. This day focusses on dead adults who may have returned to visit.
The 2nd of November, All Souls' Day, was the designated day of prayer for the dead, and the day when they might visit you. Small food items might be left out for them.
November 3rd is the birthday of the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Popular myth credits him with having invented the sandwich.
Men Make Dinner Day is celebrated on the first Thursday of every November. Gals, make sure notice of this gets spread around in plenty of time, so there's no excuses.
On the 5th of November, Guy Fawkes Day, an effigy of Guy Fawkes is burnt in a bonfire, and the fire is put to good use for food purposes as well, such as baking potatoes.
The 6th of November is Nachos Day. It's a myth that nachos weren't invented in Mexico. They actually were — just across the border with Texas in a Mexican town called Piedras Negras.
The 7th of November is Swedish Mud Cake Day. It's a day to enjoy Swedish Mud Cake. If you don't know what it is, it's a good day to learn: it's an easy dessert to fall in love with!
The 7th of November is the birthday of James John Howard Gregory, a New England nurseryman who introduced some now-famous varieties of vegetables.
The 8th of November is Cappuccino Day, celebrating the coffee with a foamy, creamy milk layer on top: the perfect bevvy to warm you up on a chilly November day.
The 9th of November is Scrapple Day. What do you think of scrapple? Is it awesome? OR awful offal?
On the 9th of November in 1953, the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas expired in New York City. The popular legend is that he drank himself to death.
The 10th of November is "Tradition Day Argentina". It celebrates Argentina's culture and heritage from the days of the "gaucho". Festivities include lots of asado-style BBQ and Argentine wine.
The 11th of November is Polish Independence Day. In Poland and wherever there are Polish communities, it is a day for music, dancing, and lots of traditional Polish food.
Martinmas, on the 11th of November, was traditionally the day on which pigs and geese were slaughtered. Roast goose is traditional on this day.
The 12th of November is French Dip Day, celebrating the juicy meat sandwiches served with a side of meat pan drippings to dip your sandwich into.
The 12th of December is Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day. This is a dedicated pizza day for people who like everything but anchovies. But we think people should rebel...
The 13th of November celebrates the first shipment of canned pineapple from Hawaii in 1895. Of the many dishes that would subsequently emerge, one of the most famous was the Pineapple-Upside Down Cake.
The 14th of November is Pickle Day. It celebrates the simple but timeless wonder of pickles! They exist in some form in just about every cuisine in the world.
The 14th of November is World Diabetes Day, promoting coordinated action to tackle this global health issue. 95% of diabetes is type 2, which in many cases can be reversed by measures including diet.
The 15th of November is a day dedicated to fridges filled with USOs — unidentified shrivelled objects. It's not such a bad time of year to tackle it, actually.
The 15th of November is Bundt Day, celebrating both the famous cake pans that let home bakers turn out cakes that look like pieces of sculpture, and the delicious cakes that are made with the pans!
The 16th of November is the birthday of Eliza Leslie. Her popular cookbooks found a ready audience in a growing American middle class. She may also have published the first chocolate cake recipe in the U.S.
The 16th of November is Fast Food Day, celebrating the fast food industry which feeds a lot of people, and employs a lot of people to do so!
The 17th of November is Homemade Bread Day, a day to enjoy a slice of warm, buttered homemade bread.
The 18th of November is Apple Cider Day. The tangy, sweet smell of fresh-pressed apple cider is one of the joys of the fall.
The third Thursday of November is Rural Health Day. Affordable, easy access to nutritious food is a vital foundation for health but ironically can be a challenge in rural areas.
The 18th of November is Vichyssoise Day. It celebrates that world-famous cold potato soup invented right in the heart of New York City.
The 19th of November is Macchiato Day, celebrating the layered coffee and frothed milk drink served in Italy during the afternoon.
The 20th of November is the birthday of Grimod de la Reynière. He survived the French revolution and overcame disability to became one of the world's first food reviewers and restaurant critics.
The 5th Sunday before Christmas is "Stir-up Sunday". It was traditionally the day on which people would stir up the batter for their Christmas puddings and cakes.
The 23rd of November is Cashew Day, celebrating the deliciously morish nuts that we often just can't get enough of!
The 24th of November is Sardines Day, celebrating the fish that provides us with an affordable, delicious, and highly nutritious food. If you've only ever had tinned sardines, you're in for a treat with the fresh ones!
The 25th of November is St Catherine's Day. It's traditionally celebrated with taffy.
American Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a very big "deal", and people will travel great distances to be together with family for it.
The 26th of November is Cake Day. Treat yourself to a slice of a cake today, whether it's from a bakery, a café, or homemade from scratch or a mix!
The 26th of November is National Milk Day in India. It celebrates the achievement of India's having become the largest milk producer in the world.
The 27th of November is Bavarian Cream Pie Day. These pies come in many flavours, from banana to coconut, and can make for a refreshing, light dessert.
The 28th of November is French Toast Day. Eggy and crispy, French toast is a comfort food that can feel slightly fancy at the same time.
The 29th of November is Lemon Cream Pie Day. Lemon is the perfect colour and flavour to brighten up a dull, grey, damp November day.
The 30th of November is Mason Jar Day. We've got lots of suggestions on using them for everyday meal prep and for making upcoming holiday gifts.
The 30th of November is the day of St Andrew, the Patron Saint of Scotland. Apple peels were used for fortune telling on this night. You may wish to serve Scottish food.