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Supplemental to the video series, these posts extend beyond the comedic short form reels and give more history & context to the holidays, while including links to sites for anything from supporting causes to finding recipes. Happy reading, and Happy Days!
For the Foodies: The Second Week of April, 2025
For the Foodies: The Second Week of April, 2025
National Beer Day Monday, April 7th
As someone who’s worked behind a bar, I know beer drinkers don’t need any excuse to down a pint or two. This National Beer Day was developed in direct response to the 1933 Cullen-Harrison Act, which legalized low ABV beer and wine after 13 years of prohibition in the United States. Mind you, the holiday wasn’t celebrated as such until 60+ years later, when a Virginian man managed to convince his state to recognize it. While Virginia is the only state to officially recognize National Beer Day, people all over the country observe it. Here’s a link to a USA Today article with a few good deals for you.
National Coffee Cake Day Monday, April 7th
Contrary to popular belief, coffee cakes do not often contain coffee. Rather, they are meant to be consumed with coffee, which works well if you needed an excuse to eat coffee cake and drink coffee with some friends. As it is also Bake Week, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a little recipe for coffee cake here. It looks glorious. If you’re not looking to make your own, if the inevitable mountain of dishes seem a daunting task for a tiny treat, small coffee shops and independent bakeries across the nation have little sweet deals today. Should you go out and find one, please let me know how it was!
National Empanada Day Tuesday, April 8th
Empanadas are dough crescents stuffed with all sorts of fillings. While their name comes from the Spanish, empanadas can be traced back to Ancient Persia. Its cousin, the calzone, receives its fair share of mixed reviews in modern media. Local shops and food trucks are running deals on this day, so be sure to patronize your local empanada joint on Tuesday! If you can’t find any, here’s a link to an authentic Argentinian Empanada recipe you might enjoy making at home. You know to keep me in the loop, right?
National Chinese Almond Cookie Day Wednesday, April 9th
If you read that title and thought, “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of a Chinese Almond Cookie”, you’re not alone. I had the same thought, but upon further research I discovered that these are also called mooncakes, and a childhood memory rushed to mind. Have you ever heard of a PBS show called “Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat?” If not, congratulations on having cable growing up. However, if you have seen the show, you might also recall an episode called “By the Light of the Moon”, in which a little girl smuggles a mooncake to her father, a hidden message in the center where an almond sliver usually sits. From what I’ve read, these cookies are delicious, and they’ve only been in the country since Chinese immigrants brought them over in the 19th century. Celebrate by finding one in your local Asian grocery, or by making your own using this article to find your favorite recipe.
National Gin & Tonic Day Wednesday, April 9th
G&Ts are a staple drink for any well-seasoned bar patron. If you’re interested in lovely, well-produced podcasts about niche subjects, the 99% Invisible Podcast actually did an episode on tonic in 2023 that I still think about, and I’ll link that here. Like many of these food holidays, you might find a local place knows and appreciates the niche market and runs a sale this Wednesday. When you find it, because I know you will, please share it with me on Instagram.
National Cinnamon Crescent Day Thursday, April 10th
The cinnamon crescent is exactly what you think it is: take a tube of pillsbury crescent rolls, lay them flat, cover them in butter and cinnamon/sugar, roll, and bake. I can’t find a particular company that started this holiday, nor any individual claiming the blame, so I can safely assume that three year olds everywhere got together and piled into a trench coat to register this one. Go ahead and drench some carbs in butter and cinnamon sugar to celebrate, and when you’re deep in the couch during your food coma, you’ll have time to share my video with the people you care about: strangers on the internet.
National Cheese Fondue Day Friday, April 11th
If you enjoy cheese and want to imbue all fibers in your house with a winey-cheese musk, host a fondue party on April 11th! Here’s Food & Wine’s Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue Recipe. It has over 3,500 5 star reviews and requires only 15 minutes of your time.
National Poutine Day Friday, April 11th
If cheese is your bread and butter but you don’t want to clean a pot that’s been slowly building an impossibly tacky fond on the bottom, there’s always poutine. This national Canadian dish, for those poor souls who don’t know, consists of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. My personal favorite poutine EVER was a gluten free and vegan poutine from Allen Street Poutine Company in Buffalo, New York. The restaurant is closed now, but I will always remember it fondly— and this Friday, I will make some poutine of my own to honor its memory. If you’d like to try some poutine for yourself, here’s a recipe from The Modern Proper.
National Ranch Water Day Friday, April 11th
If you like a margarita but hate everything that makes it palatable, ranch water is your cup of te(quil)a. With just tequila, lime, and soda water, it’s a basic mixed drink that has somehow taken hold in the South. The OG Ranch Water could only be made with Topo-Chico, a Mexican mineral water, yet this holiday was started by Texas company RANCH2O spirits. If anyone was wondering, The Coca-Cola Company purchased Topo-Chico for $220 million in 2017.
Poet in a Cupcake Day Friday, April 11th
Step 1. Pick a favorite poet.
Step 2. Create a tiny cut-out of you favorite poet
Step 3. Mount it on a food pick.
Step 4. Put your tiny poet pick in a cupcake
Step 5. Accidentally eat your tiny poet
Step 6. Become a Shel Silverstein poem.
National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day Saturday, April 12th
Just in case you haven’t had enough cheese this week, National Grilled Cheese Sandwich day gives you an excuse to keep padding your calcium intake. You know what to do.
National Licorice Day Saturday, April 12th
I kept this on the list so I could say: licorice is not a food. In fact, when anyone gives me licorice, I see it as an attempted poisoning.
National Peach Cobbler Day Sunday, April 13th
For when you don’t feel like making a whole pie, but want the appearance of one, cobblers are an excellent dessert with a rich history that people on the internet can’t quite seem to agree on. Not wishing to add to the confusion, I’ll leave the history to the historians and set you up with the highest rated peach cobbler recipe I could find! This recipe was contributed by a Ms. Suellen Anderson and attributed to the Salt Lick Restaurant in Austin, Texas.
Make one for me, will you?
National Bake Week April 7th-14th
Not to be confused with National Baking Week, which occurs in October, National Bake Week is exactly the same, and allows bakers to biannually show off their measuring skills. Thankfully, this week is full of holidays for baked goods. Empanadas, cinnamon crescent rolls, Chinese almond cookies, cupcakes (with poets), and peach cobblers await!
Community Garden Week April 7th-14th
Community Gardens are a lovely way to grow a community, whether by getting involved in the production of food on a local level, teaching children where vegetables and fruits come from, or just spending time on a project to benefit the community. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, community gardens grow out of a shared lot. While there are many ways to go about it, typically the owner of the lot will either donate it to a charity group, or develop it themselves into a garden and invite their neighbors to join them in cultivating crops.
This holiday is specific to the UK, but that doesn’t mean community gardens are so constrained. You might be surprised at how many grow around you. In honor of Community Garden Week, do a quick something search around your city to see where you might be able to plant some roots of your own. ’Tis the season for growing, after all.
For the Foodies: The First Week of April, 2025
For the Foodies: The First Week of April, 2025
Edible Book Day Tuesday, April 1st
Honoring 18th century French gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, people from all over the world gather together on his birthday to celebrate a communal love of books and baking. This holiday, also known as the National Edible Book Festival, has now been held for a quarter of a century. If you’re wondering what they do at the festival, it’s quite, well, literal; people gather to present edible books for prizes, after which the entries photographed and consumed. Follow this link to The International Gallery of Edible Books, as it’s quite an enjoyable scroll (puns most definitely intended).
National Sourdough Bread Day Tuesday, April 1st
No tricks here, except for all the tips and tricks TradWives will give you when it comes to creating, and nurturing, your sourdough starter. Fun fact: all bread was sourdough until brewers yeast came into the picture in the 16th century. If you would like to read about the history of sourdough, you can follow this link; just a warning, it is as exciting as you might expect. Be prepared.
National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day Wednesday, April 2nd
This childhood staple is celebrated on the second of April. What you might not know is that your mom did not invent the PB&J, no matter how good she is at making them. Credit goes to a Ms. Julia Davis Chandler, who first suggested pairing peanut butter with currant or crab apple jelly in a 1901 Boston cooking magazine. The sandwich was considered a delicacy until World War Two, when all three ingredients were found on military ration menus. When the soldiers came home, sales soared. It’s actually really sweet to think of the shell shocked soldiers coming home and being able to share something as simple as a sandwich with their kids, since emotions were likely off the table. If you’d like to learn more about the history of the PB&J, here’s a link to my source at the National Peanut Board, which sounds more official than it could possible be.
Fish Fingers and Custard Day Thursday, April 3rd
This holiday commemorates actor Matt Smith’s first episode on the beloved British Sci-Fi television series “Doctor Who”. If I recall correctly, he crashes the Tardis into Amelia Pond’s backyard (which, if you are unaware of the show, is surprisingly not some sort of strange euphemism but an accurate recounting of events), whereupon he asks for fish fingers and custard. I don’t remember if he ended up enjoying the meal, but if I had to guess, which I do because I refuse to research something I should already know, he enjoyed it. His doctor paid particular attention to what made people special and unique, and liking fish fingers and custard would certainly be unique. Here’s a link to a recipe. I wouldn’t recommend eating it, but Matt Smith did say it was delicious (okay, I looked it up, but only after I guessed— here’s a link to the Tardis wiki).
National Burrito Day Thursday, April 3rd
Did you know “burrito” means “little donkey” in Spanish? The term was coined due to how much the food resembled pack rolls often carried by donkeys. While the original burrito was described as a tortilla rolled “with any meat or other thing”, we’ve come a long way! The burrito means white or brown rice, black or pinto beans, choice of protein— you get the idea. In fact, Chipotle has launched a Burrito Vault Game, which I will link here and you can do the rest of the research. Word on the web is you can win freebies, but if you don’t want to patronize Chipotle for any of these reasons (link), here’s a link to a list of freebies provided by none other than AOL.com, so if the deals are actually from 2004, well, @smartiz95 won’t be surprised.
National Chocolate Mousse Day Thursday, April 3rd
Not to be confused with National Mousse Day (November), national chocolate mousse day celebrates the delicious, fluffy, airy dessert that Food Republic insists used to be called “Mayonnaise au Chocolat”, which makes sense if you consider they have a disturbing amount of similar ingredients. If you’ve never made this dish before, you should know it’s not that difficult, and you can pretty much make it out of just heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and chocolate chips if you’re feeling fancy but don’t want to separate eggs (recipe here).
International Carrot Day Friday, April 4th
We might disagree on the correct level of done-ness for carrot in a stew, and fight over the value of pre-cut carrots in the grocery store, or the function of carrots in sweet confections, but I hope we can all agree that tiny carrot videos are absolutely adorable and ought to be shared with loved ones whenever they pop up on your feed.
National Cordon Bleu Day Friday, April 4th
If eating a dry chicken breast has ever inspired you to think, “you know what, this would taste so much better if I turned the chicken into, like, the bread of a sandwich, and then shoved ham and cheese inside,” well, you would not find yourself on the cutting edge of gastronomy, as cordon bleu can be traced back to the sixteenth century. If you want to emulate junior prom dinner, here is a five-star recipe for chicken cordon bleu. Please share pictures of your final products! Do remember: this is one of the few instances where cooked chicken will still be pink in the middle— it's the ham.
National Caramel Day Saturday, April 5th
Caramel has many shapes and forms, variations on ingredients, and practical culinary applications, but it’s absolutely the most delicious way to find cavities without having to see a dentist. If you like coffee and live near a Scooter’s Coffee shop, you can get $2 off what they call a “Caramelicious” drink, which I think we can safely assume is a caramel-based beverage with more sugar than doctors recommend for your weekly allotment. Thanks to the Krazy Coupon Lady, I can also tell you that Walmart, Target, and Kroger all have deals on caramel varieties of Magnum Ice Cream Bars, detailed here. Take a moment to look up caramel related deals in your area, and when you’re done with that, please weigh in on my poll as to whether the word should be pronounced “car-mul” or “care-a-mel”. It’s vital to national security.
National Deep Dish Pizza Day Saturday, April 5th
If you are a firm believer in the concept of a pizza-pie, you’re in for a treat this Saturday. I just found out that the Uno Pizzeria & Grill is not only still in business, but finds itself among the many restaurants doling out discounts on deep dish pizzas. Specifically at UNOs, you can use code 2638 to get a BOGO deal. You’re welcome, and feel free to play a reverse card and gift me a discount code any time.
National Peeps Day Saturday, April 5th
I don’t want to count this as a food related holiday, because I firmly believe that Peeps are more friend than food, but you should be aware that some people think Peeps are food.
National Raisin and Spice Bar Day Saturday, April 5th
Nobody cares.
Fresh Tomato Day Sunday, April 6th
Fresh tomato day is celebrated before the farmers almanac recommends planting tomatoes, so it can be safely labeled pro-greenhouse. Once you get past that, we can appreciate the tomato for providing just the right amount of acidity and juice to a BLT, which is also celebrated this month. We will be planting our tomatoes on the 20th, and hoping for a better showing than last year (one tomato that I was so proud of I forgot to eat it and let it rot on the counter until I found the strength to toss it in the compost bin, ultimately a lovely lesson in the life-cycle of a fresh tomato). Take some time out of your morning and head on over to your local famers market to pick up some fresh tomatoes and build yourself a little BLT today. If enough of you share your BLT pics with me, I will be forced to enter another sandwich phase and honestly it’s the best I eat all year. Help a girl out.
National Caramel Popcorn Day Sunday, April 6th
Far superior to kettle corn, caramel popcorn is basically just caramel that not only finds cavities, but slices your gums up with kernel shells at the same time. It’s delicious and absolutely not nutritious. You can find many deals on this hallowed day, but I’ve saved you the trouble with this deal from Hampton Popcorn and this deal from The Popcorn Factory. You’re welcome, friends, and you’re welcome, dentists of friends.
National Carbonara Day Sunday, April 6th
Carbonara, for those who have never watched a cooking show, is pasta with egg, cheese, and a cut of cured fatty pork (typically pancetta or guanciale). While I can’t find any deals with the very little effort I put in to the search, this might be a great chance to show your friends how good (or bad) you are at cooking! Here’s a link to an article that pretends to be a recipe but is really just SEO-optimization for the first 4/5ths of the post.
Until next time, Happy Days!
March 26th, 2025
March 26th, 2025
Little Red Wagon Day
You know the little red wagon, the Radio Flyer, the tool box turned childhood staple, whose popularity was amplified into legend with its appearance at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair? This is a true marketing holiday, started by the creators of the little red wagon itself. The Radio Flyer company, formerly Radio Steel, has been family owned and operated since its inception in 1917, and their little red wagon is still available for purchase on the Radio Flyer website. If you’re feeling nostalgic, but you have neither a red wagon nor the funds to buy one, you can watch the movie Radio Flyer from the comfort of your home! If that’s not your taste, even the classic film, A Christmas Story, features the red wagon in advertisements. If you do have a wagon… you could always see if you still fit! Please, please, please, tag us in your pictures. It’s the fuel we need to go on.
Epilepsy Awareness Day— Purple Day
Epilepsy, in simple terms, is a condition in which recurring seizures are cause by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
This awareness holiday was started by a newly-diagnosed-epileptic Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2008. Purple Day helps increase understanding of the regularly misunderstood disease, promoting education and dispelling myths. As you can imagine, there are lots of breaks during sessions at Purple Day events. Lots and lots of breaks.
American Red Cross Giving Day
Established in June 2015, this is a day that the Red Cross brings people and communities together to raise support for humanitarian aid. Donations are raised, volunteers gathered, and life-saving first aid classes are taught. It would be nice if we didn’t need to raise funds to teach people first aid, and even better if trained professionals could attend to people without it ($2,400) costing more than a literal arm ($600) and leg ($1,200) on the black market.
Black Marriage Day
This holiday was founded in 2003 to promote healthy relationships in the black community, specifically among youth, with the goal of explaining the benefits of two-parent households. Observed in over 300 communities, they aim to create loving and welcoming environments for children.
Nougat Day
What is nougat? Do you know? Or is the confection a vague recollection, indistinguishable from layers in candy bars of youth? Whether you lied or told the truth just now isn’t for me to know, only that you will be able to deliver a resounding “yes” next time you’re asked the question, because:
Nougat is whipped egg whites, honey, and roasted nuts; I found a lovely, simple recipe on Raw Artisan Honey’s website, which I will link here.
While it can range in color from white to beige to brown to black, you’re probably most familiar with the cream colored nougat in— can you guess? The Three Musketeers Bar!
Spinach Day
Popeye the Sailor Man is already an outdated reference, but this year he falls into the void of obscurity, also known as the Public Domain. That being said, he might have been the one to get you to eat your spinach as a child, and for that you should be grateful. Full of vitamins and minerals, spinach is also capable of a magic trick! You can put an entire clamshell of spinach into a pan and end up with approximately four leaves, all without eating a single bite. There was an entire spinach farm in just one of Popeye’s cans. Celebrate by eating spinach, or selling your own Popeye shirt without fear of legal retaliation.
Whole Grain Sampling Day
So, the US has a San Francisco based 400 member consumer advocacy group called the Oldways Whole Grains Council— you might have seen their black, white, and yellow logo on a cereal box or two— and they created this holiday in order to encourage people to try new grains! I went ahead and conducted my own test, and it turns out, when you add pounds of sugar & vats of toxic dyes to whole grains, they all taste pretty much the same.
Good Hair Day
Sponsored by the creators of G.H.D., a hair tool company— which does, indeed, stand for “Good Hair Day”— this holiday is ostensibly to celebrate women & their beautiful hair. The mission statement specifies women. Everyone else can wear a hat (for a cause).
Wear a Hat Day
Not just a rather reactionary response to good hair day, Wear a Hat Day was created to help raise awareness (and funds) for brain tumor research. The idea: groups like businesses and non-for-profits and schools can host a “wear a hat day”, where participants donate a small amount of money to don a hat and spread awareness.
If you’re really insistent on celebrating Good Hair Day, you are welcome to donate, skip the hat, and flaunt those beautiful locks as long as you see fit.
Live Long and Prosper Day
If you were like me in your youth, first, I’m sorry, and secondly, you might have had a bizarre affinity for Leonard Nimoy. For those unaware, Nimoy was the actor who originated the role of Spock in the Star Trek franchise. The character’s salute was a hand sign based on a blessing in the Jewish faith, and it has since become universally known as the sign to “Live Long and Prosper”. It’s ubiquitous to the point that Apple has an emoji for it 🖖. While this holiday is meant to pass well-wishes on those around you, it’s also a day to celebrate Leonard Nimoy, who was, by all accounts, a very nice guy.
Solitude Day
This is a day to take a moment to yourself. Do some deep breathing, spend time in nature; break from the stressors of your daily routine. It’s important to note that solitude does not mean loneliness, but to be content with isolation and one’s self. I’m quite entertained at the thought of all the outdoor people getting ready to go for a solo hike to celebrate only to be met by every other outdoors person seeking solitude.
Manatee Appreciation Day
Often mistaken for mermaids, the planet’s favorite vegetarian aquatic mammal, manatees, are severely under-appreciated, which is why Manatee Appreciation Day exists. Morale in tanks is at an all-time low, though it’s unclear if that’s due to the artificial fish bowl they’ve been temporarily placed in or the lack of eye contact with ADHD toddlers who tap on the glass. Write to your local manatee, let them know you appreciate them enough to visit them at the aquarium but not enough to stop polluting their natural habitat. It’s a fine line, but I have faith you can walk it.
Air Max Day
Nike made the Air Max in 1972. They have since added more air, leading to concerns about their understanding of the denotation of “max”, and questions about what exactly is in the air at Nike.
Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
Thomas and Ruth Roy of Lebanon, Pennsylvania are among the most well known nonsense holiday proliferators, with over 80 holidays attributed to them (including, but not limited to, Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day, Humbug Day, and, my personal favorite, Panic Day). Like benevolent gods weary of their work, they passed the task of creation on with Make Up Your Own Holiday Day. Like religious celebrations built around benevolent gods, it should be noted that you can actually create a holiday on any given day, not just March 26th, and it’s really the spirit of creation that matters rather than celebrating on that particular day.
Happy Days!
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