Celebrations are a time to press pause and focus in on what brings us joy — connecting with other people and eating delicious food. When people generally think about holidays, they immediately jump to the big ones like New Year's Day, the Fourth of July, and Halloween. But the US has over 175 days related to the celebration of specific foods or beverages, which means that nearly half of the year can be a cause for celebration!

Here are a few underrated holidays that you can celebrate at the office with your team:

Groundhogs Day

Groundhogs Day is one of the quirkiest of holidays in our country, one that takes not only an understanding of harsh winters but also the cuteness of this large rodent to fully get behind. Groundhogs Day marks the beginning of spring (though not always, depending on whether there’s a shadow). What makes good Groundhogs Day food? Think winter classics to warm you up on a cold day: soup, pasta, or meat and potatoes. Nothing says “hold on to hope, spring is surely on its way” like a bowl of melty mac and cheese.

National taco day

National Taco Day is a self-explanatory food-related holiday, though tacos come in all different shapes and sizes so cannot (and should not!) be generalized. The best taco is one made from fresh ingredients like chili, tomatoes, onion, and — not to be controversial here — cilantro. Tacos can be hard or soft shell, vegetarian or filled with meat. They can be made in a walking format or set amongst a delicious sauce. Tacos’ versatility is one of the reasons why National Taco Day is such a great way to get your team together over an office meal, as everyone can make theirs exactly how they prefer.

Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a holiday that falls on June 19th each year to celebrate the true end of slavery in the United States. While the Emancipation Proclamation was declared in 1863, it took two years for the Union army to reach Galveston, Texas to enforce its law, with them finally reaching the city on June 19, 1865. To celebrate Juneteenth with your teammates, focus on red-colored dishes or Southern-centric dishes like cornbread, catfish, or delicious sides like collard greens.

Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated by Asian cultures to mark the beginning of spring according to the Lunar Calendar. It’s a popular holiday for Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and a wide range of other Asian countries, and in the US, many immigrants or descendents of immigrants still celebrate. To bring Lunar New Year to your office, cater auspicious foods like dumplings, noodles, or fish.

Mardis Gras

Not all Mardis Gras celebrations, which happen the Tuesday before Lent starts, need to come with giant parades and excessive rowdiness — to keep this holiday safe-for-work, focus on serving delicious Cajun foods like crawfish or shrimp po’boys. Jambalaya or gumbo are also tasty Cajun dishes often eaten around Mardis Gras. And nothing pairs better with a cup of coffee like a beignet! Beads optional.

Mothers/Fathers Day

Mothers Day in May and Fathers Day in June are excellent opportunities to celebrate the parents at your company. For many people who have children — and also those who don’t have children — a catered lunch in between meetings goes a long way towards morale and feeling appreciated by your company. Many companies enjoy expressing gratitude for their employees with office meals, and these two holidays are a time to come together to celebrate mothers and fathers.

Pride

Pride happens in June across the US and is celebrated with parades, dances, events, and festivals. The timing of this celebration (the month of June) has to do with the Stonewall Riots, which occurred in June in 1969. While Pride is often associated with advocacy for LGBTQ rights, the festivities are also commonly known for their fun, joy, excitement, and their ability to bring people together. Pride is a great occasion to bring into the office with an office meal featuring summer foods like sandwiches, fruit platters, salads, and more.

Bastille Day

Bastille Day is a celebration borrowed from France and happens every July 14. On July 14, 1789, the people of France stormed Bastille, leading a major outcome for the French Revolution. To celebrate Bastille Day, lean into being a Francophile and bring foods like croissants or other pastries, crepes, onion soup, or quiche into the office to share amongst colleagues. With France’s reputation for amazing food, there surely won’t be any complaints!

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday comes the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — or, should I say, the Tuesday after Black Friday, which centers around consumerism and shopping. To bring Giving Tuesday into your office, consider taking up a collection of dry goods to donate to the local food pantry instead of an office meals together. Teams might also volunteer together for a day to get out of the office and to connect with one another on a level outside of work, while engaging with the community and helping to support others.

Pi Day

Pi Day is what it sounds like — we’re talking flaky crusts, whipped cream, baked perfection. Pi Day happens on March 14, whose date is the first three digits of Pi (3.14). It’s a perfect opportunity to bring around a few pies for colleagues to taste test. Pies come quite diverse, so hosting a pie tasting competition (or a pie eating competition!?) can be a fun way to engage with teams and celebrate this mathematically important date.

National Donut Day

Last but not least is National Donut Day, which occurs on June 7 each year. What food holiday best brings offices together than a day dedicated to donuts? Whether your team likes their donuts cream-filled, jam-filled, or topped with sprinkles, there’s a donut out there for everyone.

These food holidays give offices something to look forward to and a tangible reason to bring colleagues together. Whatever holiday you like to celebrate, there’s bound to be good food attached to it! No matter the occasion, CaterCow can help you order the right foods in the right amounts for your office meal. With dozens of local options, real pictures of the tasty menu items, and options for buffet-style or individually wrapped, we’ve got you covered.