National Food Month – April 2025

History of National Food Month

Food gathering as a form of celebration is an integral part of human civilization. From food festivals to fancy potlucks, the history of highlighting one’s culture and identity roots back to prehistoric times. In the early stages of cultural development, the scarcity of food sources makes meals a mere form of life sustenance. However, when there’s an abundance of ingredients to cook from, sharing food in communities became a traditional practice. Greenland’s Eskimo communities conduct feasts and celebrations when there’s a surplus of meat, herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables. But back then, it wasn’t solely for human consumption. The purpose of food festivities and celebrations is to practice shamanic rites, which means to offer food to the flora and fauna spirits for animals to be supplied for future consumption.

In ancient times, historians believed that Julius Caesar pioneered mass feeding. He didn’t just feed his soldiers but almost the entire Roman citizenry. About 320,000 people received food and grain as gifts. The imperative social mechanism of food giving was first called ‘potlatch’ by Marcel Mauss, a term that people from current times still recognize.

In later years, food festivals became prominent. In 1746, food started to be hung in front of Naples’ palace, and commoners were allowed to grab anything they wanted. Modern food and agricultural festivals were a movement in response to the Great Depression to boost a city’s economy. They are used to advertise products and food items to help sellers earn money. This practice continued after the Depression era and slowly became a staple in celebrating culture. Today, the month of April is dedicated to celebrating food from different countries.