January (2012) Fun Food Holidays

Well, the big holidays that focus on food may be behind us, but there is certainly no shortage of food holidays to celebrate as we move into a new year.

January is National Fill-In-The-Blank month for lots of food and food-related items including candy, meat, hot tea, oatmeal, eggs, soup, and wheat bread as well as bread machine baking and the ever popular prune breakfast.

A couple of special weeks deserve recognition, too: celebrate National Pizza Week the second week of the month, while meat and Irish coffee share the fourth week.

You would think that booze would get enough acknowledgment in the hours leading into the New Year but January still offers loads of opportunities to get loaded, starting with New Year's Day, which doubles as National Bloody Mary Day. National Hot Toddy Day happens on the 11^th, Hot Buttered Rum Day falls on the 17^th, Irish Coffee Day has its day on the 25^th, and an alcoholic month closes as it opens with the observance of National Brandy Alexander Day.

If you have the stomach for a little sustenance among all those party days, we can work in National Cream Puff Day on the 2^nd, National Spaghetti Day on the 4^th, National Whipped Cream Day on the 5^th, a split between beans and shortbread on the 6^th, and National Tempura Day on the 7^th. And that's just the first week!

National Pizza Week begins with a party for English Toffee on January 8. Apricots get their day on January 9, bittersweet chocolate is in the spotlight on the 10^th, and January 11 is Milk Day. Curried chicken, peach melba, and hot pastrami sandwiches round out the week on the 12^th, 13^th, and 14^th, respectively. Notice that National Pizza Week doesn't have a single day connected to pizza.

Dive into some strawberry ice cream on January15.

January 16 brings a weird sharing between hot and spicy food and fig newtons.

Duck in for a little Peking Duck on January 18, Peking Duck Day.

January 19 is National Popcorn Day, and no, it's not Orville Redenbacher's birthday. That would be July 16.

January 20 is really crowded, hosting National Buttercrunch Day, National Cheese Lover’s Day, National Granola Bar Day, and National Coffee Break Day all in the same 24-hour period.

New England Clam Chowder rates a day on the 21^st. Blonde brownies, or “Blondies,” have their day on January 22. National Pie Day happens on the 23^rd, followed by National Peanut Butter day on the 24^th. (Peanut Butter pie anyone?)

January 25 is a big day in Scotland and among those of Scottish heritage everywhere; it's the birthday of the poet Robert Burns, and Burns Night dinners are traditional events serving up lots of Scottish food – and, yes, there will be haggis. So why it's also Irish Coffee Day is beyond me.

The January home stretch winds down with National Pistachio Day on the 26^th, Chocolate Cake Day on the 27^th, National Blueberry Pancakes Day on the 28^th, National Corn Chip Day on the 29^th, and the All-American celebration of a French pastry, National Croissant Day, brings the month to a close on January 30. (Remember, the 31^st is reserved for Brandy Alexanders.)

Buon Capo d'Anno e Buon Appetito!