Buffet table. Andrea Egger / Pixabay.com / 2010 / CC0 1.0
What’s happening when and where in the world of food: a calendar of 700 special food-related 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.
See also: Food Holidays: Where Are They All Coming From?
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| February | June | October |
| March | July | November |
| April | August | December |
The 1st of October is World Vegetarian Day. Being a vegetarian isn't anything new, as many people think it is. In fact, it was practised back in Ancient Greece.
The 1st of October is International Coffee Day. The day provides an opportunity to thank and support coffee growers and workers, and to celebrate coffee!
The 2nd of October is Fried Scallops Day. Pan frying is one of the most popular way of cooking scallops. But most people probably don't know what a scallop actually looks like before it lands on their plates...
The 3rd of October is the birthday of Harold McGee. McGee has pioneered examining the science of what makes cooking work the way it does.
The 4th of October was "Ieiunium Cereris" a Roman holiday in honour of Ceres, the goddess of cereal grains. Unlike other Roman holidays, this one was a fast.
Yom Kippur is a Jewish day of atonement. It involves a complete fast from both food and liquids, including water. For some people, it also involves a chicken or rooster swung over their heads
Taco Day is the 4th of October. Have a taco party for family, friends and neighbours, with everyone assembling his or her own tacos.
Vodka Day is the 4th of October. Today might be a good day to enjoy a cold, clear vodka martini. Or are you more a vodka and orange juice kind of person?
The Goose Fair is held in Nottingham, England, every year in October. It's opened by the mayor of Nottingham who gets to ring silver bells to mark the opening, and lasts for 3 days.
The 5th of October is the birthday of Elizabeth Coleman White. She was the first person to grow cultivated blueberries for commercial production. Prior to this, blueberries were only picked in the wild.
World War Two tea rationing in the United Kingdom (UK) ended on Sunday, the 5th of October, 1952.
World War Two tea rationing in the United Kingdom (UK) ended on Sunday, the 5th of October, 1952.
The 6th of October is Noodle Day. Try a noodle you've never had before, or, enjoy an old favourite. Heck, you can have both today...
The second Friday of October is World Egg Day. It is observed and promoted by many egg commissions around the world.
The 7th of October is Frappe Day! It's a day to celebrate that delicious frozen, blended drink — even if not everyone actually agrees what a frappe is!
The first Friday of October is Potato Day in Ireland. Potatoes are still one of Ireland's favourite foods, and the Irish remain amongst the world's champion potato eaters.
The 8th of October is Pierogi Day. Do you eat pierogi as a main course, or a side dish? Have you ever had dessert pierogi?
The 9th of October is Mouldy Cheese Day. It's a celebration of the cheeses that are made to be mouldy on purpose! and the range of flavours they bring to our palates.
The 10th of October is Angel Food Cake Day. Though it seemed to fall from grace in the last decades of the twentieth century, Angel Food Cake is still a heavenly cake.
Thanksgiving in Canada, the 2nd Monday of October, is a long-weekend food festival to celebrate the harvest. It is largely secular and celebrated by people of most faiths and cultural origins.
The 11th of October is the birthday of Henry John Heinz, who founded the Heinz food empire.
The 11th of October is Meditrinalia. It was a minor Roman festival celebrating what they felt were the health-giving properties of wine.
Sausage Pizza Day is the 11th of October, almost in the middle of Pizza Month. Isn't your mouth watering already, just thinking of those juicy morsels of sausage on top your cheese pizza?
The 12th of October is Gumbo Day. In southern Louisiana, home of gumbo, it's considered a good food to keep you warm in cold weather.
The 13th of October was the Roman holiday of Fontinalia, celebrating "Fontus", who was a god of water springs. The day was observed by repairing and decorating water fountains.
The 13th of October is promoted as Yorkshire Pudding Day in the U.S. Many Americans hear 'Yorkshire Pudding' and assume it's a dessert. Today's a good day to learn what it really is!
The 13th of October is M&M's Day. Do you have a favourite colour? Have you ever tried any special flavoured ones; if so, what's been your favourite?
The 14th of October is Dessert Day. It is a red-letter day for all the sweet-toothed people amongst us.
The 15th of October is Global Handwashing Day. Every recipe should start with: "Wash your hands!" In fact, most cooking sessions require handwashing several times during the process to ensure food safety.
The 16th of October is World Food Day. The goal is to ensure that people have affordable access to sufficient, nutritious, culturally appropriate food all year.
The 16th of October is the feast day of St Gallus. It was used as a marker in the agricultural calendar: apples and plant seeds should be stored by now, after today cows stay indoors, and today people start smoking hams.
The 16th of October is World Bread Day. Bread is one of the most loved foods, but shockingly is still one of the highest-waste item foods in our kitchens.
The 17th of October is Philip Harben's birthday. Harben launched the world's very first television cooking programme, airing on the BBC on the 12th of June 1946, at 8:55 p.m.
The 18th of October is Alaska Day, marking the day that Alaska officially became American soil on 18 October 1867 at 3:30 in the afternoon.
The 19th of October is Seafood Bisque Day, celebrating a bowl of creamy, rich seafood crustacean soup.
The 19th of October is International Gin & Tonic Day. Why not plan a zoom G&T session with far-flung friends around the world today?
The 20th of October is International Chefs Day. The day celebrates the knowledge and skills of chefs, and gives them an opportunity to go out into communities to share that knowledge.
The 21st of October is Apple Day. Events ranging from apple bobbing to apple peeling contests are held. There's even an Apple Day song!
The 22nd of October is Nut Day. It's a day to celebrate nuts, and the people who grow and pick them for us.
The 23rd of October is Canning Day, celebrating the home preserving practice of safely preserving food in jars.
October the 24th is World Tripe Day, celebrating tripe as a vital part of sustainable farm to fork, nose to tail agriculture, and the many ways of preparing and savouring the taste and distinctive aroma of tripe.
The 24th of October is Baloney Day! In some American towns, the highlight of the year is Baloney Day. Treat yourself to a baloney sandwich today!
The 25th of October is World Pasta Day. Pasta can be part of a balanced diet. So, use your noodle, cook up some pasta, and get saucy today!
French fries, potato pancakes, hamburgers, fish and chips... we're over and over not to eat them so much, and the reason why we have to be told over and over is that we *love* them so much.
Pumpkin Day is the 26th of October. This could be the day you carve your pumpkin for Hallowe'en. Or, maybe cook with pumpkin? Look for a recipe that calls for pumpkin.
October 26th is the birthday of Charles Mason Hovey, who promoted early plant-breeding advances in the U.S. and documented much of early U.S. horticultural history.
The 27th of October is American Beer Day. What is the first American beer you ever had? What is your favourite American beer now?
The 28th of October is Wild Foods Day. Some conservation areas and wild life parks offer field trips and later show you how to prepare what you've found.
The 29th of October is Oatmeal Day. You may wish to have oatmeal porridge for breakfast, oatmeal cookies at lunch, or use oatmeal as a savoury polenta at dinner. Or what about an oatmeal face mask?
The 30th of October is the birthday of Irma Rombauer. Rombauer authored one of the United States' most influential cookbooks of all time, "The Joy of Cooking".
Samhain celebrations start on the evening of the 31st of October. Samhain marks the end of the summer and is the last harvest celebration.
Thomas Bellacci, a patron saint of butchers, was a butcher's son. Despite being a Patron of Butchers, he himself in later life ate only bread, root vegetables, and water.
The 31st of October is Nutcrack Night. You would place two nuts side by side in the fire to tell the fate of lovers.
The 31st of October is the day when the veil between this world and other worlds is thought to be thin. Undaunted, children dress in costumes and go door to door for candy.
| January | May | September |
| February | June | October |
| March | July | November |
| April | August | December |