Holidays Centered on Food

Food plays a role in most holiday celebrations. Consuming, sharing, offering, or displaying food is frequently a central activity in holiday rituals, and specific foods often serve as iconic symbols of specific holidays. Issues arise, however, over the meanings of foodways in holidays, the expense and effort involved in including them, the impact on nutrition and health, and the emotional associations with them. This entry surveys types of holidays centered on food and outlines the roles and functions of foodways within those holidays as well as the issues associated with them.