Jul 16, 2026 · 8 min read

National Food Holidays: A Delicious Day for Every Month

Food days are the most celebrated corner of the unofficial holiday calendar — because the way you celebrate is by eating the thing. Here's a curated year of them: one headline food day per month, plus runners-up for the truly committed.

🧀 January — Cheese Lovers Day (January 20)

Start the year strong with a cheese board. Runners-up: National Popcorn Day (January 19) and National Pie Day (January 23). January's reputation for dietary discipline takes a well-deserved beating.

🍕 February — National Pizza Day (February 9)

One of the biggest food days of the year, with deals at pizzerias everywhere. Runner-up: World Nutella Day (February 5), started by a fan blogger in 2007 and later embraced by Ferrero itself.

🧇 March — International Waffle Day (March 25)

Born in Sweden as Våffeldagen, where the day coincides with a feast day whose name sounds almost identical in Swedish. Runners-up: Oreo Cookie Day (March 6) and Pi Day (March 14) — technically a math holiday, practically a pie holiday.

🥨 April — National Pretzel Day (April 26)

Beloved enough that a certain paper-company TV show built an episode around it. Runner-up: National Caramel Day (April 5).

🍵 May — World Baking Day & Tea Day (May 17 & 21)

May pairs perfectly: bake something on the 17th, brew a proper pot for International Tea Day on the 21st, then combine your results.

🍣 June — International Sushi Day (June 18)

Also the month of World Milk Day (June 1) — one of the few food days established by the United Nations' FAO rather than a marketing department.

🍫 July — World Chocolate Day (July 7)

Choose a favorite chocolate, compare a few cocoa percentages, or make a dessert to share. Runners-up: National Ice Cream Day (third Sunday of July) and National Junk Food Day (July 21), for completists.

🍉 August — Watermelon Day (August 3)

Peak-season produce gets its due. Runner-up: Banana Split Day (August 25) — three scoops, one boat, zero regrets.

🥥 September — World Coconut Day (September 2)

A quieter food month, which makes it the right time for Apple Dumpling Day (September 17) to shine.

☕ October — International Coffee Day (October 1)

The year's most caffeinated holiday, with free-coffee promotions worldwide. Runner-up: World Pasta Day (October 25).

🥪 November — National Sandwich Day (November 3)

Named for the 4th Earl of Sandwich's birthday-adjacent legacy. Runners-up: National Candy Day (November 4), strategically placed after Halloween surplus, and Homemade Bread Day (November 17).

🥓 December — Bacon Day (December 30)

Deliberately positioned one day before New Year's resolutions take effect. Runner-up: National Cookie Day (December 4), which pairs well with holiday baking season anyway.

🍕

A food day for every appetite

Fun Calendar tracks every food holiday of the year — filter by the Food category and get a tasty reminder each morning.

Get Fun Calendar for iPhone and iPad

Who invents food days, anyway?

A mix of trade associations, brands, food bloggers, and enthusiastic individuals — there's no central authority, and a food day becomes real when enough people cook along. For the full story of how unofficial holidays get made, read What National Day Is It Today? (And Who Decides?)

Find these days on the calendar

Or browse every day of the year.

← Back to all articles