Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, or someone who was important, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as fellow beings and part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together.
Sadly, the gathering together for sacred feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West – but it need not be so! Here we will remember the ancient feasts.
| Feast Name | Date Celebrated | Food (recipe in post) |
| The Feast of Trumpets | The first day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar (Tishrei) *Usually falls in September or October | Apples dipped in honey |
| The Feast Day of St. Matthew, The Apostle | 21 September | Honey-glazed zeppole (doughnuts) |
| The Feast Day of Thomas of Villanova | 22 September | Traditional Spanish Migas |
| The Feast Day of St. Padre Pio | 23 September | Spicey Italian Sausage and Pepper Farfalle |
| The Feast Day of Saint Wenceslaus | 28 September | Svíčková na smetaně (Roast Sirloin in Sour Cream Sauce) |
| The Feast of Michaelmas | 29 September | Stuffed goose w/ applesauce |
| The Feast Day of St. Jerome | 30 September | Lion Cake |
| The Feast Day of St. Thérèse of Lisieux | 1 October | French toast |
| The Feast Day of St. Hewald the Dark and St. Hewald the Fair | 3 October | Kartoffelpuffer (Potato Pancakes) |
| The Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi | 4 October | Almond Cookies |
| The Feast of Tabernacles | 15 – 21 Tishrei (1st month of Hebrew calendar) *Usually falls in September or October | Moroccan Chicken Tangine, with olives and preserved lemons |
| The Feast Day of St. John Henry Newman | 9 October | Full English Breakfast |
| The Feast Day of St. Teresa of Ávila | 15 October | Santa Teresa (St. Teresa’s Bread) |
| The Feast Day of St. Hedwig of Silesia | 16 October | Hedwigsohlen (bread) |
| The Feast Day of St. Longinus | 16 October | St. Longinus Spears |
| The Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Antioch | 17 October | Wheat Berries |
| The Feast Day of St. Luke | 18 October | Festive Slow-Cooked Beef Tips |
| The Feast Day of St. Oda | 23 October | Bloemkool (Cauliflower Netherlands – Style) |
| The Feast Day of St. Crispin and Crispinian | 25 October | St. Crispin’s Apple Crisp |
| The Feast Day of St. Jude Thaddeus and St. Simon the Zealot | 28 October | Dabgadz Banir Boerag (Fried Cheese Turnover) |
| The Feast of All Hallows’ Eve | 31 October | Soul Cakes |
| The All Hallows’ Day Feast | 1 November | Panellets |
| The All Souls’ Day Feast | 2 November | Piada dei morti (The Bread of the Dead) |
| The Feast Day of St. Elizabeth and St. Zechariah | 5 November | Angel Food Cake |
| The Feast Day of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki | 8 November | Bougatsa (Custard Pie with Phyllo and Ground Cinnamon) |
| The Feast Day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini | 13 November | New York Style Pizza |
| The Feast Day of St. Leopold III, Margrave of Austria | 15 November | Sacher Torte |
| The Feast Day of St. Albert the Great | 15 November | Himmel und Ääd (applesauce and mashed potatoes) |
| The Feast Day of St. Gertrude the Great | 16 November | Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas |
| The Feast Day of St. Cecilia | 22 November | St. Cecilia’s Heavenly Music Candy Bar |
| The Feast Day of St. Clement of Rome | 23 November (Catholic Church, Lutheran Church) 24 November (most Byzantine Churches) 25 November (Russian Orthodox Church) 29 Hathor (Oriental Orthodox Churches) | Çiberek, also called chiburekki (a fried turnover with a filling of ground or minced meat and onions) |
| The Feast Day of American Thanksgiving | 4th Thursday in November | Pumpkin Pie |
| The Feast Day of St. Andrew, the Apostle | 30 November | Clootie Dumping |
| The Feast Day of St. Francis Xavier | 3 December | Polla a la Vasca (Basque Chicken with Pimiento) |
| The Feast Day of St. Clement of Alexandria | 4 December (Eastern Catholicism, Anglicanism) 5 December (Episcopal Church, Anglicanism) | Kebda Eskandarani (Alexandrian Liver ) |
| The Feast Day of St. Nicholas | 6 December | Sinterklaas Borstplaat (Dutch Fondant) |
| The Feast Day of St. Ambrose | 7 December | Ambrosia Salad |
| The Feast Day of St. Lucy | 13 December | St. Lucy’s Crown |
| The Feast Day of St. John of the Cross | 14 December | Gazpacho, a cold tomato soup |
| The Feast Day of St. Pope Anastasius I | 19 December | Roman Stuffed Dates |
| The Feast Day of St. Thorlak | 23 December | Hangikjöt með Uppstúf – Smoked Lamb with Béchamel Sauce |
| The Feast Day of St. Adela of Pfalzel | 24 December | Apfelstrudel |
| The Feast Day of Christmas | 25 December | Figgy Pudding |
| The Feast Day of St. Stephen | 25 December (Armenian Apostolic Church) 26 December (Western Christianity) 27 December, 4 January, 2 August, 15 September (Eastern Christianity) Tobi 1 – Coptic Christianity | St. Stephen’s Day Stew |
| The Feast Day of St. John, the Apostle | 27 December – Roman Catholics and Anglicans 26 September – Eastern Orthodox | St. John’s Wine |
| The Feast Day of St. Sylvester | 31 December | Silvesterpunsch (Warm New Year’s Eve Punch) |
| The Feast Day of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of of Nazianzus | 2 January | Lakror (St. Basil Meat Pie) |
| The Feast Day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton | 4 January | New England Crab Cakes |
| The Feast Day of Epiphany | 6 January | Three Kings Cake |
| The Feast Day of St. Thorfinn of Hamar | 8 January | Traditional Norwegian Fårikål (Lamb and Cabbage Stew) |
| The Feast Day of St. Mungo | 13 January | Mince & Tatties |
| The Feast Day of St. Henry (Bishop of Finland) | 19 January | Karelian Pies (Karjalanpiirakka) |
| The Feast Day of St. Sebastian | 20 January | San Sebastian Cheesecake |
| The Feast Day of St. Agnes of Rome | 21 January | St. Agnes Lamb’s Wool Drink |
| The Feast Day of St. Francis de Sales | 24 January | Saint Francis de Sales Honey Goodness Breakfast Bars |
| The Feast Day of St. Timothy and St. Titus | 26 January | Apostle Cookies |
| The Feast Day of St. Thomas Aquinas | 28 January | Grilled Pork Chops Lazio Style |
| The Feast Day of St. Brigid | 1 February | St. Brigid’s Bread |
| The Feast Day of Candlemas | 2 February | Crêpes De La Chandeleur (Candlemas Pancakes) |
| The Feast Day of St. Ansgar | 3 February | Pepparkakor (Swedish Ginger Cookies) |
| The Feast Day of St. Agatha of Sicily | 5 February | Saint Agatha Rolls |
| The Feast Day of St. Mél of Ardagh | 6 February or 7 February | Irish Shepherd’s Pie |
| The Feast Day of St. Moses | 7 February | Sujuk Sandwiches |
| The Feast Day of St. Gobnait (Abigail) | 11 February | Honey Glazed Corned Beef |
| The Feast Day of St. Julian the Hospitaller | 12 February | Maltese Rabbit Stew |
| The Feast Day of St. Valentine | 14 February | Ricotta Honey Cakes |
| The Feast Day of St. Wulfric | 20 February | Bubble & Squeak |
| The Feast Day of the Chair of St. Peter | 22 February | Edible Chairs |
| The Feast Day of St. Papias of Hierapolis | 22 February | Honey glazed prawn |
| The Feast Day of St. Polycarp | 23 February | Fruit Salad |
| The Feast Day of St. Oswald of Worcester | 29 February | Yorkshire Pudding |
| The Feast Day of St. Colette of Corbie | 6 March | Crusty French Bread Rolls |
| The Feast Day of St. Patrick | 17 March | Guinness Stout Chocolate Brownies |
| The Feast Day of St. Joseph | 19 March | Biscotti Di Prato |
| The Feast Day of St. Dismas | 25 March | Tabbouleh |
| The Feast Day of Purim | The 14th day of Adar (in Jerusalem and all ancient walled cities, 15th of Adar) – usually during the month of March | Easy Noodles Kugel |
| The Feast Day of Pascha (Easter) | On the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after 21 March (a fixed approximation of the March equinox). | Glazed Easter Ham |
| The Feast Day of St. Benedict the Moor | 4 April (3 April in the Franciscan Order) | Sicilian Cannoli with Ricotta Filling |
| The Feast Day of St. Gemma Galgani | 11 April | Spinach Alfredo Lasagna (with chicken and roasted red bell peppers) |
| The Feast Day of St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów | 11 April | Homemade Pierogi |
| The Feast Day of St. Bernadette Soubirous | 16 April | Tourin à l’ail – French Garlic Soup |
| The Feast Day of St. George | 23 April | Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread) |
| The Feast Day of St. Mark, the Evangelist | 25 April | Egyptian Baklava with homemade syrpup |
| The Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena | 29 April (4 October in Italy) | Pasta Santa Caterina |
| The Feast Day of Athanasius of Alexandria | 2 May | Egyptian Meshabe (funnel cake) |
| The Feast of St. Philip and St. James the Less | 3 May | African Chicken Stew |
| The Feast Day of St. Florian | 4 May | Wiener Schnitzel |
| The Feast Day of the Ascension | 40 Days after Easter | Chicken Salad Sandwiches |
| The Feast Day of Pentecost | 50 Days after Easter | Ukrainian Beef and Buckwheat Kasha |
| The Feast Day of St. Mathias, the Apostle | 14 May | St. Matthias Quiche |
| The Feast Day of St. Isidore, the Laborer | 15 May | Spanish Beef Stew |
| The Feast Day of St. Bobo | 22 May | Boeuf Bourguiginon (French Beef Stew) |
| The Feast Day of St. Rita of Cascia | 22 May | Home-Made Fig Bars |
| The Feast Day of St. Joan of Arc | 30 May | Crème Brûlée |
| The Feast Day of St. Justin Martyr | 1 June | Traditional Gyros |
| The Feast Day of St. Boniface | 5 June | Bratkartoffeln |
| The Feast Day of St. Barnabas | 11 June | Kolokythokeftedes (Zucchini Balls) |
| The Feast Day of St. Anthony of Padua | 13 June | A Multitude of Fishes Cupcakes |
| The Feast Day of St. Joseph the Hymnographer | 14 June | Caponata |
| The Feast Day of St. Thomas More | 22 June | Bangers & Mash |
| The Feast Day of St. John the Baptist | 24 June (Nativity) 29 August (Beheading) 7 January (Synaxis—Byzantine | Locust and Honey Crescent Rolls |
| The Feast Day of St. Irenaeus of Lyon | 28 June | Coq au Vin |
| The Feast Day of St. Peter and St. Paul | 29 June | Porchetta |
| The Feast Day of St. Thomas, the Apostle | 3 July | Medu Vada |
| The Feast Day of St. Olga of Kiev | 11 July | Borscht |
| The Feast Day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha | 14 July (U.S.) 17 April (Canada) | Mohawk Indian Corn Soup |
| The Feast Day of St. Bonaventure | 15 July | Tuscan Ribollita |
| The Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene | 22 July | Provençal Ratatouille |
| The Feast Day of St. Bridget of Sweden | 23 July | Swedish Meatballs |
| The Feast Day of St. Christopher | 25 July | Kroštule |
| The Feast Day of St. James the Greater, the Apostle | 25 July (Western) 30 April (Eastern) 30 December (Hispanic Church) | Tarta de Santiago (Spanish Almond Cake) |
| The Feast Day of St. Anne and St. Joachim | 26 July | Moules Marinières |
| The Feast Day of St. Olaf | 29 July | Bringebærdessert (Raspberry Dessert) |
| The Feast Day of St. Lydia of Thyatira | 3 August | Earl Grey Lavender cupcakes |
| The Feast Day of St. Mary MacKillop | 8 August | Lamingtons |
| The Feast Day of St. Lawrence | 10 August | Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta |
| The Feast Day of St. Philomena | 11 August | Neapolitan Pizza |
| The Feast Day of the Assumption of Mary | 15 August | Rosemary Olive Oil Cake |
| The Feast Day of St. Helena | 18 August | Panna Cotta |
| The Feast Day of St. Bartholomew, the Apostle | 24 August | Gingerbread / Bartlemas Beef |
| The Feast Day of St. Louis | 25 August | St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake |
| The Feast Day of St. Monica | 27 August | St. Monica’s Tears |
| The Feast Day of St. Moses the Black | 28 August | Awaze Tibs – Ethiopian Beef Tibs |
| The Feast Day of St. Teresa of Calcutta | 5 September | Crockpot Pineapple Curry Chicken |
| The Feast Day of the Nativity of Mary (Marymas) | 8 September | Vanilla Rose Bundt Cake |
| The Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom | 13 September (Western) | Sweet Honey Cornbread |
| The Feast Day of Pope Saint Cornelius and Saint Cyprian | 16 September | Chicken Tagine with Harissa |