The Holiday Kitchen
Teta Malika’s kitchen
Open the wall calendar for a season: the story behind the sweet, the recipe, the bread, and a plate to share.
Five kitchen seasons
What’s cooking next
Story, then cook, then bread, then share. Coptic Christmas and Christmas are free in full. Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr open their story, Teta’s recipe and the first Iftar doors for free. The 3-day trial unlocks the rest, and Sham el-Nessim.
Midan Passport · holiday stamps
Holiday bread around the world
Parker House rolls
Boston, USA
Qurban
Coptic churches, Egypt
Ramazan pidesi
Turkey
Kahk
Egypt
‘Aish baladi
Egypt
The wall calendar
The year in holidays
34 holidays and fasting seasons from many traditions. Five are full kitchen seasons today; the rest are coming.
Next up first. A moon marks dates that move each year (lunar and Hebrew calendars, or the Easter reckoning); each one says why.
Día de los Muertos
Season coming soonNov 1–2, 2026 · In 4 days
Pan de muerto · Sweet orange-blossom bread topped with dough ‘bones’.
Diwali
Season coming soonSun, Nov 8, 2026 · In 11 days
Mithai · Ladoos, barfi and other sweets shared in boxes.
Nativity Fast
Season coming soonFasting seasonNov 25, 2026–Jan 6, 2027 · In 28 days
Coptic dates (43 days ending the day before Christmas); Julian-calendar churches begin Nov 28.
Plant-based plates · Ful, taʿmeya (falafel), lentils and vegetable stews.
Thanksgiving (US)
Season coming soonThu, Nov 26, 2026 · In 29 days
Turkey & pumpkin pie · Plus stuffing, cranberry sauce and every family’s own side.
Hanukkah
Season coming soonDec 5–12, 2026 (from the evening before) · In 38 days
First candle Friday Dec 4 before sundown.
Latkes & sufganiyot · Potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts.
Las Posadas
Season coming soonDec 16–24, 2026 · In 49 days
Tamales & ponche · Warm fruit punch with cinnamon and guava.
Christmas
Season openFri, Dec 25, 2026 · In 58 days
Cut-out sugar cookies · Iced stars, bells and trees, plus Parker House rolls for dinner.
Kwanzaa
Season coming soonDec 26, 2026–Jan 1, 2027 · In 59 days
The karamu feast · Dishes from across Africa, the Caribbean and the American South.
New Year’s Eve
Season coming soonThu, Dec 31, 2026 · In 64 days
Twelve grapes / Hoppin’ John · One grape per chime; black-eyed peas for luck.
Theophany / Epiphany
Season coming soonWed, Jan 6, 2027 · In 70 days
Western churches and Revised Julian Orthodox churches.
Qolqas (taro) & sugarcane · In the West: king cake or rosca de reyes on January 6.
Coptic Christmas
Season openThu, Jan 7, 2027 · In 71 days
Fatta · Crisp bread, rice, lamb and a garlic-vinegar tomato sauce.
Orthodox Christmas
Season coming soonThu, Jan 7, 2027 · In 71 days
Kutia · Sweet wheat berries with honey, poppy seeds and nuts.
Lunar New Year
Season coming soonSat, Feb 6, 2027 · In 101 days
Year of the Goat.
Dumplings & nian gao · Dumplings for wealth, sticky rice cake for a higher year.
Ramadan
Story & recipe freeFasting seasonFeb 8–Mar 9, 2027 (from the evening before) · In 103 days
Expected; first night (taraweeh) the evening of Feb 7.
Qatayef · Folded pancakes filled with cream or walnuts.
Laylat al-Qadr
Season coming soonSat, Mar 6, 2027 (begins the evening before) · In 129 days
27th night expected the evening of Mar 5.
No special dish · A night of prayer; iftar and suhoor go on as in the rest of Ramadan.
Great Lent
Season coming soonFasting seasonMar 8–May 1, 2027 · In 131 days
Coptic Great Lent.
Lagana & lenten dishes · Sesame flatbread, olives, beans and greens.
Eid al-Fitr
Story & recipe freeMar 10–12, 2027 · In 133 days
Expected Mar 10 in Egypt; some calendars say Mar 9.
Kahk · Stamped butter cookies with a honey-nut filling.
Mother’s Day (Egypt & Arab world)
Season coming soonSun, Mar 21, 2027 · In 144 days
Her favourite dish · Cake, flowers, and cooking for her for once.
Nowruz
Season coming soonSun, Mar 21, 2027 · In 144 days
Sabzi polo ba mahi · Herb rice with fish, and samanu at the haft-sin table.
Holi
Season coming soonMon, Mar 22, 2027 · In 145 days
Holika bonfire Mar 21; some calendars list Mar 23.
Gujiya & thandai · Sweet filled pastries and a spiced milk drink.
Purim
Season coming soonTue, Mar 23, 2027 (begins the evening before) · In 146 days
Hamantaschen · Three-cornered filled cookies, sent in gift baskets.
Easter (Western)
Season coming soonSun, Mar 28, 2027 · In 151 days
Hot cross buns & dyed eggs · Spiced fruit buns, eggs for the hunt.
Passover (Pesach)
Season coming soonApr 22–29, 2027 (from the evening before) · In 176 days
First Seder the evening of Apr 21.
Matzah & the Seder plate · Unleavened bread and symbolic foods.
Orthodox Easter (Pascha)
Season coming soonSun, May 2, 2027 · In 186 days
Red eggs & Easter bread · Tsoureki, kulich and paskha.
Sham el-Nessim
MembersMon, May 3, 2027 · In 187 days
Colored eggs & the picnic plate · Eggs, green onions, lettuce and salty fish (read the feseekh safety note).
Mother’s Day (US)
Season coming soonSun, May 9, 2027 · In 193 days
Mother’s Day brunch · Breakfast in bed or brunch out.
Eid al-Adha
Season coming soonMay 16–19, 2027 · In 200 days
Expected May 16 (Umm al-Qura); Egypt lists May 17.
Fattah · The Egyptian Eid table: bread, rice, meat and garlic-tomato sauce.
Vesak
Season coming soonThu, May 20, 2027 · In 204 days
Dansal food · Free rice, curry and drinks for passers-by.
Islamic New Year
Season coming soonSun, Jun 6, 2027 · In 221 days
1 Muharram 1449, expected.
Ashure · A pudding of grains, dried fruit and nuts, shared door to door.
Mawlid an-Nabi
Season coming soonSat, Aug 14, 2027 · In 290 days
Expected; Aug 15 in some countries.
Halawet el-mawlid · Sugar-coated sesame, pistachio and almond sweets, plus sugar dolls and horses, sold in Egypt for the season.
Mid-Autumn Festival
Season coming soonWed, Sep 15, 2027 · In 322 days
Mooncakes · Lotus-seed or red-bean paste, sometimes with a salted egg yolk.
Rosh Hashanah
Season coming soonOct 2–3, 2027 (from the evening before) · In 339 days
Apples & honey, round challah · Sweet foods for a sweet new year.
Yom Kippur
Season coming soonFasting seasonMon, Oct 11, 2027 (begins the evening before) · In 348 days
The break-fast meal · Customs vary; many American families serve bagels and dairy dishes.
Sukkot
Season coming soonOct 16–22, 2027 (from the evening before) · In 353 days
Stuffed cabbage & vegetables · Harvest food carried out to the sukkah.