August 2009 
August 13, Thursday, Janmashtami (Birth of Lord Krishna) : Hindu.
FOOD AND DRINK
Stories about the life of Lord Krishna describe him as a handsome and popular herdsman. Often he is depicted with cows or playing with the pretty milkmaids called gopis. In India, cows, green pastures, and lots of milk and cream are symbols of plenty. Many Indian festivities are celebrated by eating sweets, often made from milk. These are especially appropriate at Janmashtami because cows and milk are so strongly associated with Lord Krishna. These milk-based sweets are generally professionally made because the milk must be reduced very slowly until it is like fudge or even granular.
August 15, Saturday, Feast of the Assumption : Roman Catholic.
This day celebrates the Christian belief in the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. It is a major religious holiday for Roman Catholics, celebrated with ceremonies followed by feasts and festivals. In France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and other South American countries, businesses close, and many communities have major fairs with contests, dancing, performances, and other activities that may continue for up to a week. At home, families get together for a large meal. There are no special foods for the day, but extra courses are served to prolong the meal, and the host usually splurges on a luxury food such as pâté or seafood for the appetizer and a special pastry or cake for dessert.
In the Greek Orthodox Church this holiday is called the Dormition (the sleeping) and it is one of the most important religious holidays, preceded among the faithful with between three and fifteen days of fasting.
August 22, Saturday, Ramadan (rahm-ah-dahn) (The Month of Fasting, first day of month-long fasting) : Islamic.
Although Ramadan is a month-long period of fasting for Muslims, food is nonetheless very important due to the tradition of iftar, breaking the fast, which ends each day at sunset and resumes the next day at sunrise. In addition, Ramadan is a month of charity in which Muslims make special efforts to feed the poor and to offer hospitality to friends. Sweet pastries such as baklava and khadaife—a syrup-soaked confection made with strands that look like shredded wheat—are offered to neighbors and friends to mark the end of Ramadan. In order to have sufficient food available, it is common to stock up on foods before Ramadan, especially on luxury items. Pork and alcohol, as well as all foods containing pork or alcohol, are forbidden at all times to Muslims.
FOOD AND DRINK
Traditionally the pre-sunrise breakfast includes rice pilafs, meat turnovers, and poached meats. However, leftovers from dinner or regular breakfast foods are likely substitutes.In addition to the foods mentioned in the following section, see the recipe for Pomegranate Compote in the recipe section.
Indian
Biriani, a dish of saffron-flavored basmati rice studded with curried lamb or vegetables and enhanced with raisins, almonds, and sometimes apricots or peaches, is the festive dish of the Muslims of northern India.
Middle-Eastern countries such as Turkey
The daily iftar is signaled by the purchase of freshly made flatbreads, sometimes filled with meat. The meal starts with an array of small items including dates, fruits, cheeses, and pickles, followed by soup, often with rice or vermicelli and eggs, and then by a dinner that includes meat— often lamb or stuffed roasted chicken or turkey—and several vegetable dishes—pastries and turnovers filled with vegetables, meat, or cheese of the feta type—followed by a light dessert of pastry or fruit, frequently scented with rose water.
Lamb is the most popular meat in the Middle East. Eid al-Fitr, a three-day event marking the end of Ramadan, is often celebrated with roast lamb, cooked whole when possible.
Moroccan
It is traditional among Moroccans to serve a luxurious sugar-dusted flat pie called bisteeya or pastilla. It is made of layers of thin pastry—filo is suitable—and filled with spiced pigeon or chicken. Before such celebration dishes people usually have harira, a soup made from lamb and chick peas, usually served with honeyed pastries or a sweet fruit, such as dates.
In Turkey, the Balkans, and Central Asia, the Ramadan soup is usually based on yogurt, while in Pakistan a bowl of yakhni, meat broth with vegetables, is common.
Saudi Arabian, Syrian, Afghan
Sweet items like baklava, kadaife and other syrup-drenched pastries, stuffed dried figs, and halwas with pistachios or almonds are often given as house gifts or served to guests during Ramadan. The sweet foods so common at Ramadan, and especially at Eid al-Fitr, symbolize the sweetness of this season.
Somalian Baked kébabs are a favorite dish. Unlike kébabs in this country, they are not cooked on skewers. Rather they are small, sausage-shaped meatballs made of beef, onion, tomato, and hot pepper and cooked on trays in an oven.
August 26, Wednesday, Seventh Night (Ch'i-hsi) : China.
This "Weaving Maid and Herd Boy Festival" is based on a tale of a couple who were transformed into stars on either side of the Milky Way as punishment for disobeying a god. On this night magpies fly up and make an arch over the Milky Way so the lovers can meet. Coiled sweet cakes are traditional.