Fabulous Feast-ivities

For foodies looking for an excuse to go nuts this holiday season, there are plenty of lesser-known holidays inviting you to celebrate. Bakers, candymakers and home chefs can rejoice, regardless of religion or other traditions. If you’re looking for more fun ways to get in the holiday spirit, you can share the joys of feasting with family and friends by joining in the culinary countdown.

Candymakers get to lead the kitchen-claiming charge on Dec. 1, with Peppermint Bark Day, followed by National Cotton Candy Day on the 7th, and National Cocoa Day on the 13th (which you’ll have to share with the bakers). After that, you’ll get National Chocolate Covered Anything Day on Dec. 16, and National Maple Syrup Day the 17th. Of course, this holiday might also have to be shared with the brilliant bakers out there. National Hard Candy Day arrives on the 19th, and the 26th caps the candy making season with National Candy Cane Day.

Maybe you’re more of a baker or sweets maker. You’re in luck! There are plenty of mini holidays calling your name, too. In fact, there are five cookie specific holidays, and a handful more that can serve as such. Starting us off, we’ve got National Cookie Day on Dec. 4. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy these tasty treats, get your oven going, or just plan out all the baking and decorating to come. Following that, we have Gingerbread Decorating Day on the 12th, Bake Cookies Day on the 18th, and National Pfeffernusse Day on the 23rd. Don’t worry, though; National Cookie Exchange Day comes on the 22nd, to help you off-load some of your scrumptious baking.

Dec. 8 is National Brownie Day and the 9th is National Pastry Day. If you’re more in the mood for a cool dessert, National Ambrosia Day arrives on the 12th. The 13th is National Cream Cheese Frosting Day, but it has to share its date with National Ice Cream Day. The 15th brings us National Cupcake Day, and we’re granted a ten-day sugar break before National Pumpkin Pie Day Dec. 25. And if the sugarplum fairies are still dancing in your head, National Fruitcake Day closes our bake-off on the 27th.

If you’re more of a chef or home cook, there’s still plenty to do this season. For some vegetables to counter all those sweets, Dec. 3 is National Green Bean Casserole Day. And soups on this month, with National Gazpacho Day on the 6th, and National Pepper Pot Day on the 29th. Roast Chestnuts Day evokes images of a cozy hearth, and it shows up to greet us on the 14th of December. The crowd favorite that is National Bacon Day comes to complete our kitchen tour on the 30th.

Of course, if spirits are the thing to put you in the holiday spirit, you’ll be pleased to know that Dec. 10 is National Lager Day, with National Sangria Day on the 20th. That’s followed by National Coquito Day on the 21st, National Eggnog Day on the 24th and of course, National Champagne Day on New Year’s Eve. If you’re so inclined, lift a glass and toast to the holidays. However, if you’re not a drinker, you don’t have to be left out of all the fun. International Tea Day is Dec. 15, so you can still celebrate the sipping by beating winter’s chill with a nice cuppa.

You may be inspired by this plethora of December foodie holidays, but it might be better to pick and choose rather than try to tackle them all. That said, if you plan to celebrate as many of them as I do, you’re going to be needing those New Year’s resolutions.