With Thanksgiving behind us and the holiday season right around the corner, I think it's safe to say food has been on our minds a lot lately. Or, at least it has been for me. I love Thanksgiving dinner and I'm anxiously awaiting my first trip to the grocery store to buy all of the festive holiday treats. Besides this, there are even more reasons to celebrate food: the many National Food Days coming up in December and January. Below are just a small sample of all the National Food Days where we can celebrate what we all love here at Spoon!

December 15: National Cupcake Day

Lindsey Sample

Who doesn't love a good cupcake? On December 15 make sure to have your favorite cupcake, whether it be store-bought or homemade, vanilla or chocolate. If you don't know what type of cupcake you want, check out this amazing recipe for Holiday Peppermint Cupcakes. Perfect for both the upcoming holiday season and national cupcake day.

December 26: National Candy Cane Day

candy, sweet, chocolate, cake, goody, sweetmeat, cream
Jocelyn Hsu

Although a lot of these food holidays are unknown, the fact that there is a national candy cane day is definitely a surprise. With these festive treats in abundance around the holidays, it makes sense that their day to shine would be the 26th of December. After all the events of the days prior, National Candy Cane Day is the perfect time to rest up with some hot cocoa with crushed candy canes to give it a nice, minty flavor!

January 15: National Bagel Day

cheese, bagel, sandwich, bread
Dani Crepeau

As a staple in most American's daily diets, everyday is a good day to have a bagel. However, on January 15 it is a must. To properly celebrate the bagel, don't be scared to go all out. Order your favorite flavor, even if it is as simple as plain or as crazy as french toast. Don't be shy with the toppings either! Go for the bacon, egg, and cheese or the classic cream cheese and lox, whatever you want. Also, bagel stores near you may have special deals on National Bagel Day that you will want to look out for, such as a free bagel with your purchase.

January 19: National Popcorn Day

popcorn, corn, caramel, cereal, kettle corn, butter, sweet, salt
Chelsea Hawk

January 19- the best day to cozy up in front of the TV and watch a movie while munching on popcorn! What better way to celebrate National Popcorn Day? This day celebrates a snack that can satisfy our tastebuds always, coming in variations that are sweet, salty, buttery, or even cheddar-flavored. If you're feeling more adventurous, you can incorporate popcorn into your cooking and baking of the day. Add it to your ice cream sundaes, your trail mix, or try making this cake batter flavored popcorn.

These highlights are just a few of the many national food holidays that you can mark on your calendar. The best part about these holidays is that you can get creative with how you celebrate. Whether it be throwing a cupcake taste-testing party or a movie marathon full of popcorn, these holidays are an excuse to go all out.