Festivals: spices that mark them

Festivals have their signature spiced foods, from Diwali sweets and Eid biryani to Christmas gingerbread, Lunar New Year dumplings and the Day of the Dead's pan de muerto.

Religious festivals

Eid, Diwali, Christmas, Easter, Passover, Hanukkah and Vesak each use spice in their own foods. Details differ by country and by family, and each is given its own page on the days calendar.

Seasonal festivals

Spring, midsummer and midwinter festivals use seasonal flavours. Nowruz uses sabzi herbs and saffron, Songkran uses cool herbal drinks and Thanksgiving uses sage, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Food as memory

Festival dishes are often passed down in families and tied to place. Many people say a festival smells of its spices.