It’s no secret around these parts that I love celebrating food holidays. And, I feel like this month has been full of random days. So, I thought I’d make a fun list of food holidays that we celebrate and see if I could find more ideas from my viewers. I’ll update the list from time to time.
Celebrating holidays with food has always been part of my family’s food traditions. Growing up, my mom worked so hard to make all kinds of days special. Yes, the obvious things like birthdays and Christmas. But, she was never afraid to pull out some food coloring to make things pink or green. Pink lemonade was never enough for my birthday pie. It needed food coloring, too. Regular party drinks weren’t enough for St. Patrick’s day. We needed green in that juice!
I find myself leaning into these same fun food traditions as I raise my own little man. Plus, knowing some of these random food holidays helps me plan my weekly menus and get out of a dinner rut. Some weeks, I don’t want to think about weekly menu plans, and I’m thankful when a few days can be taken care of with a random food holiday.
What about your family?
Are there food holidays that you celebrate related to your cultural heritage, a random childhood memory, or a celebrated holiday? I love to google “fun holidays” with the name of that month and see what comes up. I even got my husband an “every day is a holiday” calendar for valentines that I keep by my menu board for inspiration.
Food Holidays to celebrate throughout the Year
- New Year’s Day – all the traditional foods – black-eyed peas – my mom made hoppin’ john growing up, and I love including cowboy caviar in the menu depending on what we are eating.
- Valentine’s Day – I try to make a special dinner at home. This has been our tradition since I got married. Some special dinner that I wouldn’t normally make. And, of course, the sacred homemade poptarts.
- President’s Day – we have a pancake dinner (Washington’s favorite food was hoecakes) – either at home or out. I also started making Chicken Friccassee in honor of Abe Lincoln.
- Fat Tuesday – gumbo and beignets – just cheap biscuits cut up, fried, and dropped in powdered sugar
- Taco Tuesday can work in any form, every week – tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, soft shell, hard shell, drive-thru…anything goes here!
- Chili Day – whatever version of chili you like – it’s tonight, and I may eat some out of a can!
- St. Patty’s Day – Reubens and a green treat – I’ve done so many options over the years, traditional Reubens, Reuben braid, Reuben sliders, and always pistachio cake or butterscotch pie
- Cinco de Mayo – all the Mexican food in any shape or form – fajitas out, fajitas on the grill, enchilada stack, Mexican fruit cups, Mexican fruit punch, sopapilla cheesecake, cantina salsa….so many options
- Easter – I love to make a bunny cake – that’s really the only thing that matters to me, but of course, there are all kinds of meals surrounding this day
- Mother’s Day – I love a good brunch spread – chicken salad, pasta salad, fruit salad – I’m loving using this as a fun time to get my mom friends together either on our own or as a playdate
- Birthdays – this one feels obvious, but in my husband’s family, they do chicken ‘n dumplings and chocolate pie for birthdays, even though it’s in the hottest part of the summer
- Jen Jen’s Birthday – we always try and celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday. Even though she is in heaven, it’s one of the ways we try to keep her memory alive with our kids. Sometimes we make something that she made for us, like dumplings, chicken and carrots, or Cowboy Enchiladas. Sometimes we go out to eat. But we always talk about her and tell stories about our favorite things about her.
- Farmer’s Market – I love taking a day to go to the farmer’s market and pick out things with the intention of coming home and canning something with them. And I try to give my kid $5 to use to try something new. Having ownership in picking it out gives him a greater desire to try something new.
- July 4th – of course, all the fun red, white, and blue foods and homemade ice cream, and grilled burgers.
- On the first day of school – we stop for after-school ice cream to talk about the day.
- First day of fall – mix up a batch of fall snack mix to have to munch on after school.
- November – Stone Soup Playdate – it’s an easy excuse to get moms and kids together, but it’s all about planning a meal with friends.
- Friendsgiving – love having a friend gathering before our big family gathering – traditional foods or a themed menu
- day after thanksgiving – growing up, my mom always put the turkey bones in the crockpot to make broth for soup the next day. At my house, we always use the leftover turkey to make a pot pie.
- Halloween – I like to make spooky dinners and meals with pumpkin the week of Halloween – spider spaghetti, jack-o-lantern quesadillas, tomato basil soup, pumpkin pasta, and graveyard pudding pie.
Other ways that friends and followers celebrate food holidays
- half birthday – half a cookie cake with candles – my friend gets a cookie cake from a local grocery store. Cuts it in half, smears canned icing between the halves, and stacks them. Her kids love being celebrated, even on a simple day
- Back-to-school meal – a friend hosts a dinner for her kids the night/weekend before school starts. The kids pick the menu, and it doesn’t go together or have all the food groups!
- Christmas Eve – some people use this as a formal night to eat a family meal together. Others (Arkansas friends) have chili and cinnamon rolls for dinner after a candlelighting service.
- Super bowl – growing up, this always meant dad got man-pleasing dip (cheese dip with ground sausage) and baked fudge pudding.
- Johnny Appleseed day – this was one of my sister’s favorite characters growing up, so we always had some apple snack after school.
Goodness, I feel like the list could keep going. What about you? What fun traditions does your family celebrate each year?
