Singing “Happy Birthday” Makes Food Taste Better?

Apparently, we're all deeply hypnotized by "Happy Birthday" without even realizing it.

According to a random new study out of the University of Minnesota, singing "Happy Birthday" before you eat cake actually makes it taste better.  I don't know that cake needs help tasting better, but maybe that cheap store-bought kind does?

This doesn't just apply to singing "Happy Birthday", it applies to any ritual before you eat.  So if you say grace before eating, that makes the food taste better too.

The study also found people enjoy food more the longer they wait before they eat it.  And the person who cooked the food likes the way it tastes more than the people who eat it.

All three of those findings come back to the same psychological principle.  If you put a little time and effort into thinking about your food before you start eating it, you appreciate it more and it tastes better.