What's the BEST Food Day?

Nearly early every day of the year is marked by some sort of food celebration.

Do you have any plans for National Sticky Bun Day? Better get to moving – it’s this Friday. Planning on celebrating with a couple of drinks on National Kahlua Day? That’s February 27.

In fact, nearly early every day of the year is marked by some sort of food celebration. Coffee gets a day. Cereal gets a day. Even Deviled Eggs get a day. Some of them are silly — OK, a lot of them are silly, really nothing more than a day created by an industry to drive sales and have an annual opportunity to advertise under the guise of some sort of holiday. Some of these days, however, have actual historical significance.

Take National Donut Day, which falls on the first Friday of June. It’s been around for more than 75 years. The first National donut Day was first celebrated in 1938, created by the Salvation Army to commemorate their offering of free coffee and donuts to soldiers during World War I. Salvation army carried on the tradition during World War II, and while the National Donut Day website offers a brief history of the holiday in the form of a YouTube video, chances are when most Americans bite into a glazed or jelly filled treat this year on June 6, they won’t have any idea what they’re honoring.

National Catfish Day was established on June 25, 1987 by President Ronald Regan, who signed the presidential proclamation after congress called for the day to be established in a  House resolution. Why? To commemorate how far the catfish farming industry had come in the previous decade, and the thousands of jobs the industry had created.

But for every day with historical significance, there are a dozen with seemingly no significance at all. Of course National Peanut Butter Day means something to the National Peanut Board (the also have National Peanut Cluster Day and National Peanut butter Lover’s day, if you’re wondering). But to the rest of the country? Not much. So we rounded up a few of our favorite food holidays to share with you. Just remember — they may seem silly, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to kick back, relax and enjoy so good food on these days to celebrate.

In fact, if you feel like adding some of these days to your calendar, they might even help with monthly meal planning.

February 22  - National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

March 3 - National Cold Cuts Day

March 30 - Turkey Neck Soup Day

April 12-18 - National Egg Salad Week

May 6 - National Crepe Suzette Day

May 13 - National Apple Pie Day

July 17 - National Peach Ice Cream Day

August 27 - National Pots de Creme Day

October 26 - National Mincemeat Day

November 7 - National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day

December 18 – National Roast Suckling Pig Day

For more National food holidays, visit http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/National_Symbols/American_Hollidays.html