Calendar · Updated October 2026
Holiday food dangers for dogs in the US: a 2026 calendar of 8 holidays, 49 foods and the poison-control data behind them
We mapped 49 of our 66 US food pages to eight holidays in 2026. Christmas brings the most foods (20, with 6 unsafe), then Halloween (16, with 6 unsafe) and Thanksgiving (12, with 3 unsafe). A UK study of vet records found dog chocolate cases 4.7 times as likely at Christmas.
Key findings
- 49 of our 66 US food pages map to at least one of eight major holidays; 44 of them name the holiday in their own text.
- Christmas carries the most foods, 20, including 6 unsafe: Christmas pudding, eggnog, mince pie, pecan pie, stuffing and hot chocolate.
- Halloween has 16 foods and 6 unsafe verdicts; 5 of the 6 are chocolate candy and the sixth is jelly beans.
- Thanksgiving and Christmas share 9 dishes, including gravy, stuffing and mashed potatoes, so the risk runs for about a month.
- Onion and garlic are named on all 8 Super Bowl foods we map, from queso and nachos to wings and sliders.
- Half of our Fourth of July foods are unsafe: cooked chicken wing bones, corn cobs and kebab skewers.
- A UK study of 2.7 million vet records found chocolate cases 4.74 times as likely at Christmas and 1.97 times at Easter.
- Pet Poison Helpline reported a 209% jump in dog chocolate calls in Halloween week 2010 compared with a typical week.
- We found no published poison-control figures for the Super Bowl, Fourth of July food or New Year.
Which US holidays are most dangerous for dogs?
Christmas and Halloween carry the most risk in our data. Christmas ties 20 of our US food pages to the table, with 6 unsafe. Halloween ties 16, also with 6 unsafe, and almost all of them are chocolate.
By share, smaller holidays look worse. Half of our Fourth of July foods are unsafe, and 2 of 3 New Year foods are unsafe. Those groups are small, so a single page moves the share a lot.
The calendar below lists every 2026 date with each food and its verdict. Foods marked with an asterisk are editorial additions, such as chocolate bars at Halloween. Every other food names the holiday on its own page.
Source: dogeats.in US food pages. A food can appear at more than one holiday.
Show the numbers
| Label | Safe | Caution | Unsafe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl LX | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Valentine's Day | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Easter | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| Fourth of July | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Halloween | 0 | 10 | 6 |
| Thanksgiving | 1 | 8 | 3 |
| Christmas | 2 | 12 | 6 |
| New Year's Eve and Day | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Embed this chart
| Holiday | 2026 date | Day | Foods | Unsafe | Caution | Safe | Foods and verdicts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl LX | Feb 8, 2026 | Sunday | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | Chicken Wings (unsafe); Chili (unsafe); Hamburgers (caution); Hot Dogs (caution); Nachos (caution); Pizza Hut (caution); Queso (caution); Sliders * (caution) |
| Valentine's Day | Feb 14, 2026 | Saturday | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Hershey's Chocolate * (unsafe); Conversation Hearts (caution) |
| Easter | Apr 5, 2026 | Sunday | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | Easter Grass (unsafe); Hershey's Chocolate * (unsafe); Jelly Beans (unsafe); M&Ms * (unsafe); Christmas Ham (caution); Deviled Eggs (caution); Peeps (caution); Scalloped Potatoes (caution); Starburst (caution) |
| Fourth of July | Jul 4, 2026 | Saturday | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Chicken Wings (unsafe); Corn on the Cob (unsafe); Kebabs (unsafe); Hamburgers (caution); Hot Dogs (caution); Potato Salad (caution) |
| Halloween | Oct 31, 2026 | Saturday | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | Hershey's Chocolate * (unsafe); Jelly Beans (unsafe); M&Ms * (unsafe); Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (unsafe); Snickers (unsafe); Twix * (unsafe); Apple Cider (caution); Candy Corn (caution); Gummy Bears (caution); Gummy Worms (caution); Jolly Ranchers (caution); Licorice (caution); Peeps (caution); Red Vines (caution); Skittles (caution); Starburst (caution) |
| Thanksgiving | Nov 26, 2026 | Thursday | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | Corn on the Cob (unsafe); Pecan Pie (unsafe); Stuffing (unsafe); Apple Cider (caution); Cranberry Sauce (caution); Deviled Eggs (caution); Gravy (caution); Green Bean Casserole (caution); Mashed Potatoes (caution); Pumpkin Pie (caution); Scalloped Potatoes (caution); Dinner Rolls (safe) |
| Christmas | Dec 25, 2026 | Friday | 20 | 6 | 12 | 2 | Christmas Pudding (unsafe); Eggnog (unsafe); Hot Chocolate * (unsafe); Mince Pie (unsafe); Pecan Pie (unsafe); Stuffing (unsafe); Candy Canes (caution); Christmas Ham (caution); Cranberry Sauce (caution); Deviled Eggs (caution); Gingerbread (caution); Gravy (caution); Green Bean Casserole (caution); Licorice (caution); Mashed Potatoes (caution); Peeps (caution); Scalloped Potatoes (caution); Sugar Cookies (caution); Dinner Rolls (safe); Roasted Chestnuts (safe) |
| New Year's Eve and Day | Dec 31, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Thursday and Friday | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Eggnog (unsafe); Mince Pie (unsafe); Granola Bars (caution) |
Halloween 2026 falls on a Saturday, so candy bowls will sit out through a full weekend. Thanksgiving is on November 26 and Christmas on a Friday, which puts two long holiday weekends four weeks apart.
Halloween, Easter and Valentine's Day: the candy holidays
Chocolate drives the candy holidays. At Halloween, 5 of the 6 unsafe foods are chocolate bars: Hershey's, M&Ms, Reese's, Snickers and Twix. The sixth is jelly beans, where some lines contain xylitol or caffeine.
The 10 caution foods at Halloween are mostly non-chocolate candy. Candy corn, Skittles, Starburst and gummy worms are not toxic in standard form. They still bring sugar, choking risk and, in sugar-free versions, xylitol.
Easter has 9 foods and 4 unsafe. Easter grass is plastic, not food, and it can cause a linear blockage that needs surgery. Valentine's Day is our thinnest holiday, with conversation hearts and Hershey's.
| Holiday | Chocolate | Xylitol | Grapes and raisins | Onion and garlic | Caffeine | Alcohol or raw dough | Cooked bones | Fat and salt | Choking or blockage | Nutmeg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl LX | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Valentine's Day | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Easter | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Fourth of July | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Halloween | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| Thanksgiving | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| Christmas | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| New Year's Eve and Day | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Thanksgiving and Christmas: the long table season
Thanksgiving and Christmas share 9 dishes in our data. Gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, scalloped potatoes, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and pecan pie appear at both. The same risks repeat for about a month.
Onion and garlic are the main problem at Thanksgiving, named on 7 of 12 foods. Stuffing is unsafe because it nearly always contains onion and garlic, and sometimes raisins. Fat and salt appear on 9 of 12, which raises pancreatitis risk after a large meal.
Christmas adds alcohol and raisins. Christmas pudding and mince pie carry raisins or currants plus alcohol. Eggnog carries alcohol, nutmeg and dairy fat. Hot chocolate brings cocoa into the house through the winter.
| Food | Thanksgiving | Christmas | Verdict | Main hazard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Pudding | No | Yes | Unsafe | Grapes, raisins, currants |
| Corn on the Cob | Yes | No | Unsafe | Choking, blockage or packaging |
| Eggnog | No | Yes | Unsafe | Alcohol or raw dough |
| Hot Chocolate | No | Yes | Unsafe | Chocolate (theobromine) |
| Mince Pie | No | Yes | Unsafe | Grapes, raisins, currants |
| Pecan Pie | Yes | Yes | Unsafe | Fat and salt |
| Stuffing | Yes | Yes | Unsafe | Onion and garlic |
| Apple Cider | Yes | No | Caution | Alcohol or raw dough |
| Candy Canes | No | Yes | Caution | Choking, blockage or packaging |
| Christmas Ham | No | Yes | Caution | Fat and salt |
| Cranberry Sauce | Yes | Yes | Caution | Sugar only |
| Deviled Eggs | Yes | Yes | Caution | Fat and salt |
| Gingerbread | No | Yes | Caution | Nutmeg and spice |
| Gravy | Yes | Yes | Caution | Onion and garlic |
| Green Bean Casserole | Yes | Yes | Caution | Onion and garlic |
| Licorice | No | Yes | Caution | Other compound |
| Mashed Potatoes | Yes | Yes | Caution | Fat and salt |
| Peeps | No | Yes | Caution | Choking, blockage or packaging |
| Pumpkin Pie | Yes | No | Caution | Nutmeg and spice |
| Scalloped Potatoes | Yes | Yes | Caution | Fat and salt |
| Sugar Cookies | No | Yes | Caution | Sugar only |
| Dinner Rolls | Yes | Yes | Safe | Low risk in plain form |
| Roasted Chestnuts | No | Yes | Safe | Low risk in plain form |
Two safe items sit on these tables: plain baked dinner rolls and plain roasted chestnuts. Raw roll dough is a different matter. Yeast keeps rising in a warm stomach and produces alcohol, so dough left to proof on a counter is an emergency.
Super Bowl and Fourth of July: wings, cobs and skewers
Game-day and cookout food is a seasoning and object problem. Onion and garlic appear on all 8 foods we map to the Super Bowl, and fat and salt on 7. Only 2 are unsafe: chili and chicken wings.
The Fourth of July is riskier by share. Three of 6 foods are unsafe, and the main hazard in each is physical rather than chemical. Chicken wing bones splinter, corn cobs block the gut, and kebab skewers can pierce it.
July 4, 2026 falls on a Saturday and marks 250 years since 1776. Federal offices observe the holiday on Friday, July 3. Expect large backyard gatherings across the weekend.
Source: dogeats.in US food pages. Wings, hamburgers and hot dogs appear at both holidays and are counted at each.
Show the numbers
| Label | foods |
|---|---|
| Fat and salt | 13 |
| Onion and garlic | 13 |
| Choking, blockage or packaging | 4 |
| Cooked bones | 2 |
| Chocolate (theobromine) | 1 |
Embed this chart
Do chocolate poisonings in dogs spike at holidays?
Yes, at some holidays. The strongest evidence comes from a 2017 UK study in Veterinary Record. It searched 2.7 million vet consultation notes from November 2012 to May 2017 and found 386 chocolate exposure cases.
Chocolate cases were 4.74 times as likely at Christmas as at non-festival dates, and 1.97 times as likely at Easter. Halloween and Valentine's Day showed no significant rise in the UK. The authors note that earlier US and German reports did find Halloween and Valentine's peaks.
US figures come from Pet Poison Helpline and are older. It reported dog chocolate calls up 209% in Halloween week 2010 compared with a typical week. Its releases put the rise in total Halloween-week calls at about 12% in one year and 21% in 2011.
Source: Noble et al., Veterinary Record 2017, SAVSNET UK vet records Nov 2012 to May 2017. 1.0 means no difference. Halloween and Valentine's results were not statistically significant.
Show the numbers
| Label | odds ratio |
|---|---|
| Christmas | 4.74 |
| Easter | 1.97 |
| Halloween | 1.55 (not significant) |
| Valentine's Day | 0.94 (not significant) |
Embed this chart
| Holiday | Measure | Figure | Data and period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas | Chocolate exposure more likely than at non-festival dates | Odds ratio 4.74 (95% CI 3.04 to 7.40) | UK vet practice records, Nov 2012 to May 2017 | Noble et al., Veterinary Record, 2017 |
| Easter | Chocolate exposure more likely than at non-festival dates | Odds ratio 1.97 (95% CI 1.36 to 2.86) | UK vet practice records, Nov 2012 to May 2017 | Noble et al., Veterinary Record, 2017 |
| Halloween | No significant rise in UK chocolate cases | Odds ratio 1.55 (CI 0.97 to 2.46, not significant) | UK vet practice records, Nov 2012 to May 2017 | Noble et al., Veterinary Record, 2017 |
| Valentine's Day | No significant rise in UK chocolate cases | Odds ratio 0.94 (not significant) | UK vet practice records, Nov 2012 to May 2017 | Noble et al., Veterinary Record, 2017 |
| Halloween | Dog chocolate calls vs a typical week | +209% | Pet Poison Helpline, Halloween week 2010 | Pet Poison Helpline post, Oct 17, 2011 |
| Halloween | Total call volume in Halloween week | +21% | Pet Poison Helpline, 2011 | Pet Poison Helpline release (undated) |
| Halloween | Total call volume in Halloween week | about +12% | Pet Poison Helpline, earlier year | Pet Poison Helpline release (undated, about 2010) |
| Christmas | Share of Dec 24 to 25 cases involving chocolate | about 41% | Pet Poison Helpline, year not stated | Pet Poison Helpline staff post (undated) |
| Valentine's Day | Share of cases involving chocolate | 29% | Pet Poison Helpline, year not stated | Pet Poison Helpline staff post (undated) |
| Halloween | Share of cases involving chocolate | about 20% | Pet Poison Helpline, year not stated | Pet Poison Helpline staff post (undated) |
| Thanksgiving | Call volume rises at food-centered holidays | No figure published | Pet Poison Helpline, quoted 2022 | TODAY, Nov 16, 2022 |
| Super Bowl, Fourth of July, New Year | Holiday food call data | None found | Searched ASPCA and Pet Poison Helpline releases |
The sources disagree on Halloween. Pet Poison Helpline saw a large chocolate spike there, while the UK study did not. The UK authors suggest different festival priorities may explain the gap.
For Thanksgiving, Pet Poison Helpline toxicologist Dr. Renee Schmid has said call volume rises at food-centered holidays. She gave no figure. We found no published food-call data for the Super Bowl, the Fourth of July or New Year.
The year-round baseline: ASPCA and xylitol data
Holidays sit on top of a steady base of food cases. In 2025 the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center ranked food and drink second among pet exposures, at 16.4%. Chocolate, counted separately, was fourth at 13.6%.
Xylitol is the trend to watch in holiday candy and baking. Pet Poison Helpline reported a 108% rise in xylitol calls from 2015 to 2020. It says cases in 2025 were still nearly 75% above 2020 levels.
Our US food safety statistics report covers all 66 foods and every hazard in detail. 17 of those foods have no holiday link, including energy drinks and most fast food chains.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Food and drink share of ASPCA pet exposures, 2025 | 16.4% | ASPCA Top 10 Toxins of 2025 |
| Chocolate share of ASPCA pet exposures, 2025 | 13.6% | ASPCA Top 10 Toxins of 2025 |
| Items in ASPCA Poison Control calls, 2025 | more than 376,000 | ASPCA Top 10 Toxins of 2025 |
| Change in xylitol calls, 2015 to 2020 | +108% | Pet Poison Helpline |
| Xylitol cases, 2025 vs 2020 | nearly 75% higher | AKC quoting Pet Poison Helpline, 2026 |
| Pet Poison Helpline chocolate calls in one year, share involving dogs | more than 1,100; 98% dogs | Pet Poison Helpline Halloween release (undated, about 2010) |
A holiday plan for dog owners
Most holiday cases come from access, not feeding. Food sits at dog height for hours while hosts are busy. A short plan before each date prevents most of it.
If something goes wrong, call before symptoms start. ASPCA Animal Poison Control is at (888) 426-4435 and Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661; both run 24/7. Ask your vet about your own dog's risks.
- Halloween and Easter: keep candy bowls and baskets off the floor, and bag wrappers at once.
- Thanksgiving: keep raw dough covered and out of reach while it rises; no gravy, stuffing or turkey bones in the bowl.
- Christmas and New Year: put drinks, eggnog and mince pies out of reach and check wrapped gifts for chocolate.
- Super Bowl and Fourth of July: bin wing bones, corn cobs and skewers in a lidded can, not an open bag.
- Every holiday: tell guests not to share plates, and give your dog its own treat instead.
Plain, unseasoned turkey breast or a few green beans are fine as a small share for most healthy dogs. See all US food guides before you share anything else.
Frequently asked questions
Which holiday is most dangerous for dogs?
In our data, Christmas: 20 of our US food pages tie to it and 6 are unsafe. A UK study found dog chocolate cases 4.74 times as likely at Christmas as on other dates. Halloween follows closely, with 6 unsafe foods out of 16.
When is Halloween 2026 and what candy is dangerous for dogs?
Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday, October 31. Chocolate bars such as Hershey's, M&Ms, Reese's, Snickers and Twix are unsafe for dogs. Jelly beans are unsafe too, because some contain xylitol or caffeine.
What Thanksgiving foods can dogs not eat?
Stuffing, pecan pie and corn on the cob are unsafe in our data. Gravy, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole need caution because of onion, garlic, fat and salt. Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26.
Do vets see more chocolate poisoning at Christmas?
Yes. A UK study of 2.7 million vet consultation notes found chocolate exposure 4.74 times as likely at Christmas and 1.97 times at Easter. Pet Poison Helpline staff reported that about 41% of cases on December 24 and 25 involved chocolate.
How much do poison calls rise at Halloween?
Pet Poison Helpline reported dog chocolate calls up 209% in Halloween week 2010 versus a typical week. Its releases put total Halloween-week calls up about 12% in one year and 21% in 2011. These are older figures.
Are Fourth of July foods dangerous for dogs?
Some are. Half the cookout foods we map to July 4 are unsafe: chicken wings for their bones, corn on the cob for blockage, and kebabs for the skewer. Burgers, hot dogs and potato salad need caution.
Is Easter grass dangerous for dogs?
Yes. Plastic Easter grass is not food and can form a linear blockage in the intestine that often needs surgery. Easter 2026 fell on April 5, and the risk returns with every basket.
Who do I call if my dog eats holiday food?
Call your vet or a 24/7 pet poison line. ASPCA Animal Poison Control is at (888) 426-4435 and Pet Poison Helpline is at (855) 764-7661, which charges $89 per incident. Have the food, amount and your dog's weight ready.
Methodology and limitations
We matched the 66 pages in the dogeats.in US food section to eight holidays. 44 pages name a holiday in their own text, usually in a section on when the food turns up in US homes. We added 5 pages by editorial judgment, marked with an asterisk: Hershey's, M&Ms, Twix, hot chocolate and sliders.
Verdicts and hazards come from each page as published in October 2026. Hazard labels follow the classification in our US food safety statistics report. A food can count at more than one holiday.
Dates for New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas come from the OPM federal holiday schedule for 2026. Super Bowl LX was played on February 8, 2026 at Levi's Stadium. Easter 2026 was computed with the standard Gregorian Easter algorithm; Valentine's Day and Halloween fall on fixed dates.
Poison-control figures are quoted as published by Pet Poison Helpline, the ASPCA and the Veterinary Record study. Several Pet Poison Helpline posts carry no date; we give the year where the text states it and say so where it does not.
Sources
- Noble et al., Heightened risk of canine chocolate exposure at Christmas and Easter, Veterinary Record 181(25), 2017, Holiday odds ratios for dog chocolate exposure; 386 cases from 2.7 million records
- Pet Poison Helpline: Pet owners beware, chocolate and dogs don't mix (October 17, 2011), 209% rise in dog chocolate calls in Halloween week versus a typical week
- ASPCA: The Top 10 Toxins of 2025 (March 15, 2026), Food and drink 16.4% and chocolate 13.6% of 2025 exposures; more than 376,000 items
- Also consulted: Pet Poison Helpline: Tales of Christmases past (Dr. Amanda Poldoski, undated), Pet Poison Helpline: Halloween dangers release, Pet Poison Helpline: Veterinarians warn pet owners about Halloween dangers, Pet Poison Helpline: Xylitol cases more than doubled over five years, American Kennel Club: Dangers of xylitol (April 2026), TODAY: Owner of golden retriever poisoned by Thanksgiving rolls (Nov 16, 2022), US Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays 2026, Levi's Stadium: Super Bowl LX announcement, University of Liverpool news release on the Veterinary Record study, December 21, 2017, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center service page, Pet Poison Helpline service page.
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