The spice calendar
128 harvests, festivals, feasts and fasts of the year, with the spices each one calls for. Dates are worked out afresh every day; those marked "about" follow the moon or local calendars and can shift by a day.
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October 2026
about 8 Oct 2026MehreganThe autumn festival of friendship and harvest, with saffron rice, barberry and pomegranate.
11 to 25 Oct 2026DashainNepal's biggest festival: tika, family reunions and goat curry thick with ginger, garlic and timur.
17 to 20 Oct 2026Durga Puja bhogBengal's great autumn festival, with khichuri bhog, labra and chutney cooked for the goddess and shared by all.
20 Oct 2026Dussehra feastThe victory day that ends Navratri, marked with saffron jalebi, fafda and a ritual of the new rice.November 2026
5 Nov 2026Bonfire Night and parkinBritain's fireworks night, with treacle toffee and parkin, a sticky ginger cake of Yorkshire.
6 Nov 2026DhanterasThe day for buying new vessels, when coriander seed and jaggery are offered to Lakshmi in many homes.
6 to 10 Nov 2026Tihar in NepalNepal's five days of lights, with sel roti and a meal of lentils flavoured with jimbu and timur.
7 to 8 Nov 2026Terlingua chili cookoffThe first Saturday of November, when cooks in a Texas ghost town compete with chilli seasoned with cumin, ancho and cayenne.
8 to 12 Nov 2026Diwali, the festival of sweetsFive days of lamps and sweets, when cardamom, saffron and nutmeg are the scents of every kitchen in India.
23 Nov 2026Karthigai DeepamThe festival of lamps in Tamil Nadu, with sweet appam, pori and adai flavoured with cardamom and dried ginger.
about 24 Nov 2026Loy KrathongThe November full moon, when floating baskets are set on the water and street stalls sell hot, sweet and sour snacks.
26 Nov 2026ThanksgivingThe American harvest feast, with turkey stuffing seasoned with sage and thyme, pumpkin pie and cranberries.
6 Nov 2026DhanterasThe day for buying new vessels, when coriander seed and jaggery are offered to Lakshmi in many homes.
6 to 10 Nov 2026Tihar in NepalNepal's five days of lights, with sel roti and a meal of lentils flavoured with jimbu and timur.
7 to 8 Nov 2026Terlingua chili cookoffThe first Saturday of November, when cooks in a Texas ghost town compete with chilli seasoned with cumin, ancho and cayenne.
8 to 12 Nov 2026Diwali, the festival of sweetsFive days of lamps and sweets, when cardamom, saffron and nutmeg are the scents of every kitchen in India.
23 Nov 2026Karthigai DeepamThe festival of lamps in Tamil Nadu, with sweet appam, pori and adai flavoured with cardamom and dried ginger.
about 24 Nov 2026Loy KrathongThe November full moon, when floating baskets are set on the water and street stalls sell hot, sweet and sour snacks.
26 Nov 2026ThanksgivingThe American harvest feast, with turkey stuffing seasoned with sage and thyme, pumpkin pie and cranberries.December 2026
January 2027
1 to 3 Jan 2027Oshogatsu and osechiJapanese New Year, with osechi boxes and toso, a spiced sake of sansho, cinnamon and other herbs drunk to start the year.
25 Jan 2027Burns NightThe supper for the poet Robert Burns, with haggis, neeps and tatties and a haggis spiced with black pepper, coriander and nutmeg.February 2027
about 6 to 10 Feb 2027Carnival in Rio and BahiaThe four days before Ash Wednesday, with street food in Bahia: acaraje fried in dende oil and served with malagueta pepper.
about 7 to 13 Feb 2027Tet Nguyen DanVietnam's lunar new year, with banh chung, braised pork with eggs and a sweet pickled shallot, spiced with star anise and cinnamon.
about 7 to 21 Feb 2027Lunar New YearThe great spring festival, with five-spice braised dishes, ginger and scallion fish and tangerine peel soups.
about 7 to 9 Feb 2027SeollalKorean New Year, with tteokguk, rice cake soup, and japchae with sesame oil, black pepper and soy.
9 Feb 2027Mardi GrasFat Tuesday in New Orleans, with gumbo, red beans and rice, king cake with cinnamon sugar and Creole seasoning.
11 Feb 2027Vasant Panchami and yellow riceThe first day of spring, when saffron or turmeric turns rice and sweets yellow for Saraswati.
about 21 Feb 2027Lantern Festival and tangyuanThe end of the new year season, with glutinous rice balls in sweet ginger syrup or osmanthus broth.March 2027
about 9 Mar 2027Eid in HyderabadSheer khurma, haleem and biryani: Eid in the Deccan is a feast of saffron, mace and slow-cooked meat.
about 9 to 10 Mar 2027Hari Raya AidilfitriThe end of Ramadan in the Malay world, with rendang, lemang and ketupat made from lemongrass, galangal and turmeric leaf.
about 9 to 11 Mar 2027Eid al-FitrThe feast that ends Ramadan, with sweet dishes in every country: ma'amoul, sheer khurma, baklava and kolak.
21 to 23 Mar 2027NauryzThe Central Asian spring new year, with nauryz kozhe of seven ingredients and plov seasoned with cumin and barberry.
21 Mar to 2 Apr 2027NowruzThe Persian new year at the spring equinox, with sabzi polo mahi, herbed rice and fish, and saffron in every sweet.
22 to 23 Mar 2027Holi and thandaiThe spring colour festival, with cooling thandai made from fennel, black pepper, cardamom and rose.April 2027
2 Apr 2027Sizdah BedarThe thirteenth day of Nowruz, spent outdoors with picnic dishes: ash reshteh, kebabs and sour tamarind-flavoured treats.
7 Apr 2027Ugadi pachadiTelugu and Kannada new year, begun with a relish of neem flower, jaggery, raw mango, tamarind and green chilli.
7 Apr 2027Gudi PadwaThe Marathi New Year, with shrikhand scented with saffron and cardamom and a neem and jaggery mouthful.
13 to 14 Apr 2027Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Avurudu)Kiribath, kavum and kokis, with the first meal cooked at an auspicious hour and the sweetness of cinnamon and cardamom.
13 to 16 Apr 2027ThingyanThe Burmese water festival, with thingyan rice served in cold, scented water and eaten with fried fish and salads.
13 to 15 Apr 2027SongkranThailand's water festival, with khao chae, rice in jasmine-scented iced water, served with sweet fried sides.
14 Apr 2027Puthandu and mango pachadiThe Tamil New Year, when six tastes are blended in a pachadi of neem flower, jaggery, tamarind, chilli and salt.
14 Apr 2027Poila BoishakhThe Bengali New Year, when shops open new account books and homes cook with panch phoron and mustard.
14 to 16 Apr 2027Khmer New YearCambodia's new year, with amok in banana leaf and kroeung, the fresh spice paste of lemongrass, galangal and turmeric.
15 Apr 2027VishuThe Malayalam New Year, begun by viewing the kani and eaten with a bitter, sweet and sour dish of neem flower, jaggery and raw mango.
7 Apr 2027Ugadi pachadiTelugu and Kannada new year, begun with a relish of neem flower, jaggery, raw mango, tamarind and green chilli.
7 Apr 2027Gudi PadwaThe Marathi New Year, with shrikhand scented with saffron and cardamom and a neem and jaggery mouthful.
13 to 14 Apr 2027Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Avurudu)Kiribath, kavum and kokis, with the first meal cooked at an auspicious hour and the sweetness of cinnamon and cardamom.
13 to 16 Apr 2027ThingyanThe Burmese water festival, with thingyan rice served in cold, scented water and eaten with fried fish and salads.
13 to 15 Apr 2027SongkranThailand's water festival, with khao chae, rice in jasmine-scented iced water, served with sweet fried sides.
14 Apr 2027Puthandu and mango pachadiThe Tamil New Year, when six tastes are blended in a pachadi of neem flower, jaggery, tamarind, chilli and salt.
14 Apr 2027Poila BoishakhThe Bengali New Year, when shops open new account books and homes cook with panch phoron and mustard.
14 to 16 Apr 2027Khmer New YearCambodia's new year, with amok in banana leaf and kroeung, the fresh spice paste of lemongrass, galangal and turmeric.
15 Apr 2027VishuThe Malayalam New Year, begun by viewing the kani and eaten with a bitter, sweet and sour dish of neem flower, jaggery and raw mango.
June 2027
about 9 Jun 2027Dragon Boat Festival and zongziZongzi wrapped in bamboo leaf, with fillings seasoned with soy, five-spice and white pepper, and realgar wine for health.
24 Jun 2027Festa JuninaBrazil's midwinter harvest party, with quentao of cachaca, ginger and cloves, canjica and pe-de-moleque with cinnamon.
August 2027
3 Aug 2027Aadi PerukkuA river-side picnic in Tamil Nadu with seasoned rice varieties: tamarind, lemon, coconut, curd and sesame rice.
about 9 to 10 Aug 2027SpicemasGrenada's carnival in August, with a J'Ouvert dawn of paint and oil, and festive foods rich in nutmeg and cinnamon.
17 Aug 2027Raksha Bandhan sweetsSisters tie a thread on brothers' wrists and sweets perfumed with cardamom and saffron change hands.
25 Aug 2027Janmashtami and panjiriKrishna's birthday, with panjiri and sweets of cardamom and nutmeg offered at midnight.September 2027
4 to 13 Sept 2027Ganesh Chaturthi and modakTen days honouring Ganesha, with steamed modak filled with coconut, jaggery and cardamom.
about 12 to 21 Sept 2027Onam sadyaKerala's harvest feast of a dozen or more dishes on a banana leaf, built on black pepper, coconut oil and ginger.
12 Sept 2027EnkutatashThe Ethiopian New Year, the day of the "gift of jewels", with doro wat, injera and coffee roasted and served in the ceremony.
about 15 Sept 2027Mid-Autumn Festival and chuseokThe harvest moon, with mooncakes of lotus paste, osmanthus tea and in Korea songpyeon scented with pine and sesame.
about 18 Sept to 3 Oct 2027OktoberfestMunich's beer festival, with roast chicken, pretzels and spiced pork, and caraway, juniper and mustard on the tables.Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Diwali Sweets: Kalli navya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dhanteras: The original uploader was F16 at Hebrew Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Holi Thandai: Jitenderasingh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dussehra Jalebi: DiplomatTesterMan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ganesh Chaturthi Modak: Original uploader was MatthieuMoy at fr.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, source
- Janmashtami Panjiri: Nvvchar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Raksha Bandhan Sweets: Suyash.dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vasant Panchami Kesari: Nitin Das, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Onam Sadya: Jiteshgt, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vishu Kani: Vishnu Kunnathully, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Karthigai Deepam: SriniG, Public domain, source
- Puthandu Mango Pachadi: Amila Tennakoon, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ugadi Pachadi: Kalyan Kanuri, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Gudi Padwa: Abhijit Tembhekar, CC BY 2.0, source
- Poila Boishakh Bengal: Abidhasan00, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Durga Puja Bhog: Subhrajyoti07, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Aadi Perukku: Peenumx, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Eid Hyderabad: Mohammed Tawsif Salam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tihar Nepal: Sreekumar K. S., CC BY 2.0, source
- Dashain Nepal: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Thingyan Myanmar: Pagan era painter(s), Public domain, source
- Khmer New Year: Sam Sith, CC BY 2.0, source
- Songkran: ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ - เ, CC BY 3.0, source
- Loy Krathong: John Shedrick, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tet Nguyen Dan: vi:Lưu Ly, Public domain, source
- Lunar New Year: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lantern Festival: -Zest, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dragon Boat Zongzi: After Wen Jia, Public domain, source
- Mid Autumn Festival: Shizhao, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Seollal: Kang Byeong Kee, CC BY 3.0, source
- Oshogatsu Osechi: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Nauryz Kazakhstan: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
- Yalda Night: M.Sadegh Nikgostar/Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, source
- Mehregan: PersianDutchNetwork, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Eid Al Adha: Chongkian, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mwaka Kogwa: Marwa elchazly, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Enkutatash: Nati Tad, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Festa Junina: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, CC BY 2.0, source
- Carnival Rio: Alan Betensley ( Abetens at en.wikipedia ), Public domain, source
- Mardi Gras: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hogmanay: Robbie Shade, CC BY 2.0, source
- Burns Night: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Thanksgiving: Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, Public domain, source
- Oktoberfest: Heribert Pohl, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Terlingua Chili Cookoff: Carstor, CC BY-SA 2.5, source