National Cherry Cheesecake Day – What?!

That's tomorrow, that is. I kid you not.

Much harmless amusement can be gained from a Google search (other search engines are available) on national food days. It is not unfair to say that most of the weirder stuff comes from the States. So let's consider this further. A cheesecake day. One might consider this celebration to have been instigated by the US Association of Cheesecake Manufacturers, if such a thing exists. But why cherry, for heaven's sake?

A spurious reason is that April sees the start of the cherry season in some states. But the fact is there doesn't need to be any logical reason. All you need to do is to get it on to the National Day Calendar. Yes, this really exists. You won't find it stored in Federal archives. It was in fact founded in 2013 by one Marlo Anderson, and has its headquarters in Mandan, North Dakota.

To secure an entry, all you have to do is to submit a form for review by the committee. If accepted you will be directed to the next steps in the process. The website is silent on whether a fee is chargeable, though I have my suspicions. The criteria seem to be that it's a unique idea; that it has a clear theme; and that there is a story behind it. Your day will thenceforth feature on the National Day Calendar with the possibilities of selling branded clothing, accessories and other fun merchandise through the NDC Store.

But lest you scoff at this piece of Americana, we in Britain have our own share of national food days. Like our constitution this is much vaguer, though the forces of commerce must have been involved at some stage too. Yesterday (April 21) was National Tea Day. Fitting perhaps that it was also the centenary of the birth of the late Queen Elizabeth. If you missed her Platinum Jubilee tea party with Paddington Bear, view it here.

Other such days in April have a little more logic, for example featuring carrots on April 4. A whole week is given to British Beef (April 23-30). But how on earth did Sour Dough Bread slip in? Definitely an import - it features on the National Day Calendar too - celebrated on April 1. And why oh why should National Picnic Day in Britain be celebrated on a variable date in the month of April, when many of us haven't put away the winter woollies?

A perusal of the National Day Calendar website yields much much more. There can be entire months dedicated to things, and it's not restricted to food. It's a study which will guarantee hours of harmless amusement. I was delighted to learn that there is a National Columnists' Day (April 18), inspired apparently by war correspondent Ernie Pyle who was killed on that date in 1945. I suppose, given the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I ought to have been pleased to learn that we are in Scottish American Heritage Month, and I suppose every month should be a National Safe Digging Month, not just April.

But back to food. Today (April 22) is National Jellybean Day. You didn't know? For shame! Get it in the diary for next year.