Top 10 Decadent Food-Themed Holidays

Fudge is one of those old-timey treats that doesn’t always get the accolades it deserves in these modern days of cake pops and cronuts. This June 16th however, is its time to shine, because it’s National Fudge Day! Whether you want to go out and support a local business or try your hand in the kitchen, fudge is the perfect simple dessert to satisfy any sweet tooth. There are countless options for flavors and mix-ins, so every year your could even try a new recipe, even if something called “Fudge Four Ways” sounds kinda wrong. Fudgetastic!

When the fourth of July celebrations die down, you’ll still want to indulge in some all-American grub. Enter: National Fried Chicken Day. We’ve gotta say though, for such an auspicious holiday we think you should skip the KFC and opt for something with more of a home cooked vibe. If you live in the south, you can probably find some great fried chicken near you, but with some time and effort it’s not too tricky to make at home. You don’t even need a deep fryer, but a proper thermometer will definitely be your friend. We guarantee it’ll be even better than finger lickin’ good!

Does your milkshake bring all the hungry people to the yard? It’s time to find out because September 12th is National Chocolate Milkshake Day! Even if you don’t have a Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe in your hometown, you can surely find a way to celebrate. Yes, of course there’s regular old Milkshake Day to be celebrated on August 1st, but if you want to get real specific, this one is all about that chocolate. Celebrating this holiday is simple, as long as you own a blender; and if you want to keep things simple, you can make a great milkshake with just ice cream and milk. Old school, baby.

Many of the entries on our list today are North American, but this one is a multinational affair. Waffle Day originated in Sweden where heart-shaped waffles are the norm. (Awww.) The origin of this celebration is pretty funny: it takes place on March 25th which is also "Our Lady's Day". In vernacular Swedish, that translates to Våffeldagen, which sounds a lot like “waffle day”. In the US, National Waffle Day is celebrated on August 24th which is the anniversary of the day the waffle iron was patented. That means if you live stateside, you can actually find a way to celebrate twice a year! Don’t waffle, get on it!

The more basic National Brownie Day is celebrated in December, but in February it’s all about mixing it up with cream cheese brownies. Seems a little specific, we know. But if you’ve never had cream cheese or cheesecake brownies, now’s your time to try them. Of course, you could make them from scratch, but in a pinch there are tons of recipes out there that simply use a brownie mix with cream cheese marbled in. Voila! Instant dessert that looks way fancier than it really is!

Not all food-themed holidays have a history to them, and in fact many seem arbitrarily chosen, but this one is a notable exception. In 1938, Chicago’s Salvation Army had a fundraiser which both honored the people who gave doughnuts to the soldiers during WWI, and raised money to help people in need during the Depression. Ever since, the first Friday in June has been designated National Doughnut Day, and in fact many chains and doughnut shops around the country celebrate by giving away free doughnuts. Get in line early though, because they’re sure to go quickly!

Do you really need an excuse to indulge in some chocolate cake? If so, just wait until January 27th rolls around. Right in the middle of everyone’s healthy New Year's resolutions falls National Chocolate Cake Day, perfectly timed to throw you off the wagon. Whether you want to take the excuse to pick something up from a high end bakery or just throw a Betty Crocker mix in the oven, this one will undoubtedly be a joy to celebrate. Oh and don’t miss out on National German Chocolate Cake Day which takes place on June 11th or National Chocolate Cupcake Day which is on October 18th. SO. MUCH. CAKE.

Pie may be more frequently consumed around Independence Day or Thanksgiving, but someone decided to throw National Pie Day in at the end of January (just before Chocolate Cake Day!). We’re not complaining, because any excuse to eat pie is a welcome one. Banana Cream Pie has its own national holiday, as do cherry pie and peach pie, which is awesome since we don’t think there should be any limitations on which kinds you love. This is not to be confused with National Pi Day, which takes place on March 14th and celebrates the mathematical constant. Why these two days couldn’t combine is a mystery to us! Call it: P I E C E P T I O N.

Okay, to be honest, every day is National Cheese Day in our hearts, but if we’re following the calendar, it’s technically on June 4th. There are so many ways you could go about celebrating this, that we don’t even know where to start. Cheese pizza and cheese fondue each have their own respective fest days, but you could keep things simple by making yourself an epic cheese sampling plate. Or, you could try to find one of those restaurants where they make pasta dishes by throwing them into a giant wheel of cheese. We’re going to leave this one up to you because the perfect cheese day is different for everyone. A cheesy sentiment, we know.

This may seem like a rather specific dish for our number one pick, but rather than choosing a much-loved food that is easy to go buy somewhere, this recently-created holiday is a celebration and an inspiration for learning a new recipe. The classic carbonara formula requires very few ingredients: you need pasta, eggs, parmesan cheese and either guanciale (cured hog jowl) or pancetta. (Even bacon will do in a pinch. It always does!). For something so easy and simple, the end result will taste like it comes from a 5 star restaurant. For another special pasta day, National Fettuccine Alfredo Day on February 7th is another great pick.