It’s no secret that I love food. I mean, I’m eating while I type this blog post. With last Friday marking National Donut Day (possibly my new favorite holiday), I started thinking about what food holidays we celebrate in the good old USofA. There are days, weeks, even entire months dedicated to specific foods and food groups, some of which are more popular than others. If the holiday is big enough, there are stores that even give away food freebies for the corresponding holiday (thanks Dunkin Donuts!). Now is the perfect time to explore the wonderful world of food holidays so I’ve compiled a list of what I consider to be some of the best (and weirdest) food holidays that are celebrated in America. You can thank me later.
January
National Hot Tea Month – What better month to cuddle up with a cup of hot tea and a good book?
January 1 – National Bloody Mary Day – The day after NYE we all need a little hair of the dog, right?
January 2 – National Buffet Day – Do I really need to say anything about this?
January 14 – National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day – One grilled Rueben sandwich, please.
January 19 – National Popcorn Day – Garrett Popcorn anyone?!
January 20 – National Cheese Lover’s Day – This is my own personal slice of heaven.
January 23 – National Pie Day – Apple? Pumpkin? Blueberry? Pick your poison!
January 25 – National Irish Coffee Day – Stop by Mrs. Murphy & Sons to get the real stuff!
January 27 – National Chocolate Cake Day – One word – yes.
February
National Snack Food Month – Potato chips, candy bars, beef jerky, oh my!
February 1 – National Cake Pop Day – Check out Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique, they have some of the best in Chicago!
February 4 – National Stuffed Mushroom Day – I know this day isn’t for everyone but if you like mushrooms, it’s your time to shine.
February 5 – World Nutella Day – I haven’t quite caught onto the Nutella craze but for those who have, go nuts!
February 5 – National Frozen Yogurt Day – Nutella AND froyo in the same day?! Tummy ache central.
February 10 – National “Have a Brownie Day” – You don’t have to tell me twice.
February 18 – National Drink Wine Day – As if we needed a designated day for this.
February 22 – National Margarita Day – Fiesta time! Be sure to look for specials at your local watering hole.
February 29 – National Frog Legs Day – Wait, what?! I think I’ll pass on this one!
March
National Frozen Food Month – Time to stock up on those Hot Pockets!
March 3 – National Cold Cuts Day – Pastrami, Salami, Turkey – the options are endless!
March 5 – National Cheese Doodle Day – Channel your inner Honey Boo Boo and go elbow deep into a bucket of cheese doodles.
March 6 – National Oreo Day – Double stuffed, red velvet or birthday cake? Have all 3, you deserve it.
March 9 – National Crab Meat Day – Seafood lovers rejoice!
March 18 – National Sloppy Joe Day – Get out the wet wipes, this one’s going to be messy!
March 23 – National Chips and Dip Day – Dean’s French Onion dip is calling my name.
April
National Grilled Cheese Month – All day. Every day.
April 6 – New Beer’s Eve – Celebrate the day that marks the end of prohibition with a cold one, it’s only right.
April 16 – National Eggs Benedict Day – Breakfast is served.
April 24 – National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day – This little piggy isn’t going to make it all the way home.
April 30 – National Raisin Day – If you’re one of those health conscious people, this one’s for you.
May
National Hamburger Month – Fire up your grills, it’s patty time!
May 3 – National Chocolate Custard Day – Chocolate is great any day but if you’re looking for an excuse to eat it, here it is.
May 5 – National Enchilada Day – Happy Cinco de Mayo!
May 11 – National “Eat What You Want” Day – And for me is also known as “every day of the week.”
May 15 – National Chocolate Chip Day – Eat those suckers straight out of the bag if you want to.
May 24 – National Escargot Day – You know, if you’re into that kind of thing.
June
National Dairy Month – Get your share of calcium, vitamin D and protein this month.
June 5 – National Ketchup Day – I don’t think we celebrate this holiday in Chicago.
June 7 – National Chocolate Ice Cream Day – Stop by the nearest ice cream shop and treat yoself.
June 10 – National Iced Tea Day – Check out tea shops near you for possible freebies.
June 19 – National Martini Day – Shaken or stirred?
June 20 – National Vanilla Milkshake Day – You have to stop by Oberweis for this one. Heaven on earth.
June 22 – National Onion Ring Day – Make your own blooming onion with the help of the Food Network.
July
National Ice Cream Month – They couldn’t have picked a better month to celebrate this cold treat.
July 4 – National Caesar Salad Day – Uhh… what? To each their own, I guess.
July 6 – National Fried Chicken Day – The ultimate comfort food holiday.
July 7 – National Macaroni Day – Chicken & Macaroni two days in a row? Hello KFC!
July 13 – National French Fry Day – Because who doesn’t like french fries?
July 24 – National Tequila Day – This holiday smells like trouble.
August
National Catfish Month – Here’s a month for all you freshwater fanatics. Bon appétit!
August 3 – National Watermelon Day – Did you know that the heaviest watermelon was 268 pounds? Yes, you read that right. 268 pounds.
August 6 – National Root Beer Float Day – Stop into an A&W Restaurant anytime between 2 p.m. and store closing and grab a free root beer float!
August 8 – National Frozen Custard Day – Check Culver’s Facebook for free frozen custard contests.
August 13 – National Filet Mignon Day – Instead of dropping a ton of money, use Pinterest to celebrate and make your own!
September
National Chicken Month – You can fry it, you can grill it, you can bake it… you can do pretty much anything with it.
September 1 – National Gyros Day – Kronos Foods has been known to give out free gyros all across the Chicagoland area.
September 5 – National Cheese Pizza Day – Check out some of the best places in Chicago to celebrate this cheesy holiday.
September 9 – National “I Love Food” Day – I’m not saying that they picked this holiday specifically because it’s my birthday but….
September 18 – National Cheeseburger Day – Check out all your local burger places, find some offers and then eat at ALL of them!
September 27 – National Chocolate Milk Day – There’s no age limit on this holiday.
October
National Pizza Month – Pizza lovers unite!
October 1 – National Kale Day – Don’t knock it until you try it.
October 4 – National Taco Day – Whether you’re celebrating at Taco Bell, Taco Burrito King or in your own kitchen, this is one food holiday that everyone will love.
October 14 – National Dessert Day – Pick your top 5 desserts and eat them all.
October 25 – National Greasy Foods Day – This day is hangover heaven. Grab all the greasy foods you can and indulge!
October 30 – National Candy Corn Day – This food holiday goes hand-in-hand with Halloween.
November
National Stuffing Month – I now have an excuse to eat my favorite Turkey Day side dish all month long.
November 6 – National Nachos Day – Pile up your nachos with your favorite toppings and don’t look back.
November 14 – National Pickle Appreciation Day – You either love them or hate them, there’s no in between.
November 16 – National Fast Food Day – Drive-thrus were invented for a reason. Check out the fast-food restaurants near you for special deals.
November 23 – National Espresso Day – Need an extra boost? National Espresso Day is the day for you!
November 24 – National Sardines Day – No, thank you.
December
National Egg Nog Month – My favorite holiday drink – get it while you can!
December 4 – National Cookie Day – Ever heard of a cookie hangover?
December 17 – National Maple Syrup Day – Pile all the syrup you want on some steaming hot pancakes or go all out and substitute syrup for the J in your PB&J.
December 25 – National Kiss the Cook Day – What better way to show your appreciation for all those wonderful holiday feasts?
December 29 – National Get on the Scales Day – I’m warning you, don’t do it!
December 31 – National Champagne Day – There’s no other way to ring in the New Year.
If you’re still reading this post, you’re either really hungry or you love food as much as I do. Either way, you’re going to want to check out a full list of food holidays via Foodimentary and mark down your favorites so you can celebrate them the only way you should – by shoving your face.
