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?
| January | May | September |
| February | June | October |
| March | July | November |
| April | August | December |
The 1st of September is Gyro Day. It celebrates the Greek dish consisting of shavings of moist, seasoned spit-roasted meat typically served wrapped in pillowy soft, warmed pita bread.
World War Two began on the 1st of September 1939. It would be a war in which food played a deciding role. In fact, some have said it could be argued that home economists played a starring role in winning the war.
The 2nd of September is Grits for Breakfast Day. There are lots of different special ways to prepare grits for today, and if you miss breakfast, there's always lunch!
The 3rd of September is Welsh Rarebit Day. It celebrates the whimsical Welsh dish that is actually just a thick cheese sauce on toast, with no rabbit involved at all!
The 4th of September is Macadamia Nut Day, celebrating the mellow, rich flavour and buttery texture of macadamia nuts.
The 4th of September is Currywurst Day. It celebrates the sausage and sauce streetfood dish that delivers an exotic flavour, at a down-to-earth price.
The first Sunday of September is Father's Day in Australia. Fathers get gifts and cards, and are often taken out for a meal such as brunch.
The 5th of September is Cheese Pizza Day. The day celebrates pizza loaded with just plain, oozy, melting, stretchy, wonderful cheese on it, and no toppings.
The 6th of September is Carnation Evaporated Milk's birthday. It first rolled off the production line on this day in 1899 in Kent, Washington State, USA.
The 7th of September is Acorn Squash Day. It celebrates the buttery tasting squash with sweet flesh that looks like a big acorn.
The 8th of September is the National Day for the Spanish region of Asturias. The day is celebrated with bagpipes, dancing and local food such as sausages, cheeses and the regional cider.
The 9th of September is Ice Cream Freezer Patent Day. It celebrates the invention of the world's first homemade ice cream machine.
The 10th of September is the birthday of Katherine Caldwell Bayley. Home economists such as her were change agents, bringing tremendous knowledge, energy and zeal to their work.
Hot Cross Bun Day is the 11th of September. You don't have to wait till next year to have them again!
Pig's Face Day is held every 2 years in mid-September in the English village of Avening. Villagers gather dressed in medieval costume, and feast on pig.
Chocolate Milkshake Day is the 12th of September. You get to enjoy your two favourite things — ice cream and chocolate — combined together in one thick, cold, and creamy concoction.
The 13th of September is Peanut Day. Peanuts can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes, and are, of course, also a snack food par excellence, so have some peanuts today!
The 13th of September is the birthday of Milton Snavely Hershey. His first success did not come until he was 40, but his name would forever be associated with American chocolate.
Nutting Day is the 14th of September. For centuries it was traditionally a day in England for groups of people to go out into the woods for organized, festive group harvesting of autumn nuts.
The 14th of September is Cream-filled Doughnut Day. It celebrates two of everyone's food groups: cream and doughnuts.
The 14th of September is Eat a Hoagie Day. What cold cuts do you like on your hoagies, and what condiments? What sauce do you like on yours? Just a simple oil and vinegar sauce, with herbs, or a creamy sauce?
The 15th of September is the Empire Apple's birthday. Not every apple is so lucky as to have its own official birthday, but the Empire Apple does.
The Egremont Crab Fair is held on the third Saturday of September to celebrate the crab apple harvest.
The 16th of September is Mexican Independence Day. It is a big celebration in Mexico, bigger than the Cinco de Mayo. There are parades, festivities and eating.
Oktoberfest starts in the third week of September. It is a celebration of Bavarian drink and food.
The 17th of September is Monte Cristo Sandwich Day, celebrating the ham and cheese sandwiches fried up in a golden egg batter and served with jam and powdered sugar.
The 18th of September is Cheeseburger Day. It's one of the high holidays in the food calendar of cheese lovers.
The 19th of September is Butterscotch Pudding Day. It celebrates the light and creamy, custard-like dessert called "pudding" with a butterscotch flavour to it.
The 20th of September is Pepperoni Pizza Day. Pepperoni pizza might be the most popular type of pizza ever yet created.
The 21st of September is Devil's Nutting Day. It was traditionally the day during autumn nut harvesting season that you did not want to go "nutting" because the devil would be out in the woods doing the same that day.
The 21st of September is Pecan Cookie Day. Pecan pie typically gets all the attention. Well, today it's the turn of pecan cookies to shine!
The 22nd of September is Hobbit Day. It marks the birthday of the fictional characters Bilbo Baggins the hobbit and Frodo Baggins, his cousin
The 23rd of September is Pot Pie Day. Who doesn't like a pot pie, with the crispy, flaky crust, and the fragrant, savoury, creamy sauce that oozes out when you cut into it.
The 24th of September is the birthday of Franklin Clarence Mars. He established the Mars candy bar empire.
The 24th of September is Cherries Jubilee Day. Who really invented Cherries Jubilee, and when? There are conflicting tales, but today, you can read all about it right here, and decide what you believe.
Rosh Hashanah is the start of the New Year in the Jewish calendar. The day is a festive holiday; a day of no work, except for cooking, carrying or making fire.
The 25th of September is the birthday of Maria Parloa. She advocated for home economics to be taught in schools, and for women to buy every new labour-saving kitchen device they could.
The 26th of September is Better Breakfast Day. The challenge today is to think about how to incorporate healthier breakfasts into your everyday routine.
The 26th of September is Johnny Appleseed's birthday. He became a part of American mythology for planting apple trees in Ohio.
The 26th of September is World Dumpling Day. It celebrates those succulent, pillowy-soft, comfort-food snacks that are the favourite of both rich and poor in so many different cuisines around the world.
The 27th of September is the birthday of Clementine Paddleford. She pioneered writing about food as an interesting, fun topic in itself, and was at one point the pre-eminent food writer in the United States.
The 28th of September is Strawberry Cream Pie Day — and no one has any idea who picked a day in September for this!
The 29th of September is Coffee Day: Maybe today is a good day to try coffee in a form different from how you usually have it? Treat yourself!
On the night of the 29th of September, the Devil is said to spit on blackberries. Some versions of the tale say it's to curse them because when he was kicked out of heaven, he landed in a prickly patch of blackberries.
The 29th of September is the feast of St Michael the archangel, who, among other things, is the patron saint of grocers. The feast day was known as Michaelmas.
The 29th of September is The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. The day is designed to promote awareness and solutions.
The 30th of September is Hot Mulled Cider Day, celebrating warmed and spiced cider. Some people view today as the official kick-off for the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere.
The last Friday in September is German Butterbrot Day. It celebrates the simple German open-faced sandwich called a 'Butterbrot'.
| January | May | September |
| February | June | October |
| March | July | November |
| April | August | December |