Whilst planning an informative and hopefully entertaining post for Winter Solstice a few days hence, I turned once again to the Culinary Holidays List for posting inspiration and what did I find? That not only did I miss National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, but that today is a double celebration – being both Cookie Cutter Day and National Maple Syrup Day. Still, thanks to a late start and being in a slight funk over the missed chocolate opportunities (the picture makes me feel slightly better) – I wasn’t able to conjure up any deep thoughts on cookie cutters or on maple syrup.

But tomorrow is National Roast Suckling Pig Day. Now there is a subject to sink one’s teeth into. What I can’t understand though is why it’s in December. National Pig Day is March 1st (a day celebrated notably and with all due seriousness by Serious Eats at the time).

Now you may be thinking to yourself – suckling pig? at this time of year? who has the time? Dude, nobody has the time for such things anymore. That’s what restaurants are for. That’s why I intend to head to Pig Heaven tomorrow, home of the world’s finest Chinese spareribs and a damned find roast suckling pig.

So whether you stop to celebrate tomorrow – or are scrambling even now to pull the cookie cutters out and string them across the mantle – I wish us all joy for the holiday season – by which I mean not only those obvious ones like Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years. I mean:

• National French Fried Shrimp Day (Dec. 21) – as opposed to fried how?
• National Pfeffernuesse Day (Dec. 23) – still waiting to hear more about this, oh fab one.
• National Egg Nog Day (Dec. 24) – enough said, get to pouring
• National Pumpkin Pie Day (Dec. 25) – and you thought it was just Christmas.
• National Candy Cane Day (Dec. 26) – one must do something with all those leftovers
• National Fruitcake Day (Dec. 27) – And you thought these would just sit around until next year’s regifting opportunity. No! Use them to build your own celebratory memorial to all those fruitcakes gone but not forgotten.
• National Bicarbonate of Soda Day(Dec. 30) – because we all overdo it a tad this time of year
• National Buffet Day and National Cream Puff Day (Jan. 2) – because after all that bicarb, we are ready to go again.