2008 loaded with edible observances

Want to celebrate National Grapefruit Month or National Pie Day?

I don't get too excited about special food observances. Most are promotional campaigns designed by marketing groups. Do we really need to celebrate canned food? Or a National Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month?

We also have annual "years." The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato, as well as the International Year of Sanitation and the International Year of Planet Earth. The U.N. also designated Oct. 16 as International Food Day.

Aside from the United Nations, I'm not sure who assigns all these food observances. I suppose any person or group can designate one. But I think some of the celebrations might be pretty lonely. For instance, National Split Pea Soup Week has been around since 1969, but I've never noticed a big run on split pea soup.

Over the years I compiled a calendar of national food designations from press releases that cross my desk and Web sites such as Foodreference.com. The month with the fewest observances is December -- when there's plenty of eating going on anyway.

January: Oatmeal Month, Soup Month, Pie Day (Jan. 23), Healthy Weight Week (Jan. 20-26), Fat Free Living Month, Bread Machine Baking Month, Dried Plum Breakfast Month, Hot Tea Month, Wheat Bread Month.

February: Bake for Family Fun Month, Canned Food Month, Celebration of Chocolate Month, Snack Food Month, Potato Lover's Month, Great American Pie Month, Cherry Month, Grapefruit Month, Hot Breakfast Month, Pot Roast Month, Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month.

March: Nutrition Month, Peanut Month, Agriculture Day (March 21), Noodle Month, Frozen Food Month, Flour Month, Sauce Month.

April: Garden Month, Pecan Month, Fresh Florida Tomato Month, Soft Pretzel Month, Soybean Month.

May: Asparagus Month, Artisan Gelato Month, Barbecue Month, Hamburger Month, Salad Month, Egg Month, Herb Month, Salsa Month, Strawberry Month, Food Allergy Awareness Month.

June: Candy Month, Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, Hunger Awareness Month, Iced Tea Month, Papaya Month, Beef Steak Month, Seafood Month, Soul Food Month, Turkey Lovers Month.

July: Baked Bean Month, Blueberry Month, Hot Dog Month, Ice Cream Month, Picnic Month, Lasagna Awareness Month, Culinary Arts Month, Pickles Month.

August: Catfish Month, Peach Month.

September: 5-A-Day Month, Chicken Month, Honey Month, Mushroom Month, Rice Month, Biscuit Month, Organic Harvest Month, Papaya Month.

October: Apple Month, Pasta Month, Pizza Month, Popcorn Month, Pork Month, Seafood Month, World Vegetarian Day (Oct. 1), Celebrate Sun-Dried Tomatoes Month, Caramel Month, Cookie Month, Spinach- Lovers' Month, Vegetarian Awareness Month.

November: Peanut Butter Lover's Month, Split Pea Soup Week (second week), Diabetes Month, Culinary Week, Men Make Dinner Day (first Thursday), Peanut Festival, Pomegranate Month, Roasting Month.

December: Cookie Cutter Week (first week).

E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com

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