Many so-called unaffiliated Jews find their connection to this here people through the very thing my family didn’t seem to have: Jewish food. Gourmania.com calls this denomination of our faith “Gastronomic Judaism.” But I am not a Jew by food.

Growing up as an Army brat in the Great Plains, away from any Jewish community to speak of, with a mother who didn’t dig the cooking schtik and a dad who converted from Christianity, I missed out on everything from knishes to gefilte fishes.

Yet into me was impressed a Jewish lack of food: fasting. To this day, I watch out for the fast days more than I watch for Shabbath. So for all those who are Jews by food or by fasting, here’s a helpful guide, courtesy of Gourmania again:

The Diet Guide to the Jewish Holidays

Rosh Hashanah - Feast
Tzom Gedalia - Fast
Yom Kippur - More fasting
Sukkot - Feast
Hashanah Rabbah - More feasting
Simchat Torah - Keep feasting
Month of Heshvan - No feasts or fasts for a whole month. Get a grip on yourself.
Hanukkah - Eat potato pancakes
Tenth of Tevet - Do not eat potato pancakes
Tu B’Shevat - Feast
Fast of Esther - Fast
Purim - Eat pastry
Passover - Do not eat pastry
Shavuot - Dairy feast (cheesecake, blintzes, etc.)
17th of Tammuz - Fast (definitely no cheesecake or blintzes)
Tish B’Av - Very strict fast (don’t even think about cheesecake or blintzes)
Month of Elul - End of cycle. Enroll in Center for Eating Disorders before High Holidays arrive again.

This post idea thanks to shamir*power.