The lovely Deb recently drew my attention to the American State Symbols site, wherein are listed all National and State Holidays, as well as commemoration days, a great many of which are culinary. As I type this, it is just barely still National Noodle Ring Day (December 11th).

The very phrase “noodle ring” reminds me of just how much I still have to learn about the culinary world.  I’m assuming that said ring is an actual dish, and not a euphemism for some sort of group sex ritual steeped in ancient pagan lore. At any rate it beats tomorrow, which is National Ambrosia Day, which in the US is a posh euphemism for canned fruit salad, and in the UK is a brand of canned custard.

But it got me thinking, and searching the site for my own birthday to see if there was any culinary meaning to the date of my birth.  The results of my search were less than gratifying, though not as bad as it could have been.  First I discovered that I was born at the very end of National Egg Salad Week (12th to 18th April).  Now I have nothing at all against egg salad, but I would think that an entire week of it would be somewhat binding, to say the least.

Then I discovered that it really could have been worse for me.  Had I been born a day later than I was, I would have entered the world on National Cheeseball Day. Now I love a Cheeseball as much as the next partygoer, but it does rather smack of imperfect personal hygeine when there are no crackers or sticks of celery involved.

Worse still, I could have been born on March 30th, which of course is National Turkey Neck Soup Day.  Depressing, at best, though perhaps not as depressing as May 25th, which is National Brown Bag It Day.   I’m not entirely sure about the actual meaning of Brown Bag in this context, given that the dedicated day follows National Escargot Day.  I adore escargot myself, but I do understand that they don’t agree with everyone.

Still, it could also have been better for me, birthday-wise.  I could have been born on November 2nd, which is National Deviled Egg Day.  I salivate at just the thought of deviled eggs, and am curently working on a recipe for deviled egg salad sandwiches. Better still, I could have been born on August 6th, which is National Root Beer Float Day. Or, given that try as I might I could not find a National Canape Day, which would be my dream, I could have been born on February 22nd, which is National Margarita Day.

So when was I born?  April 18th, which it turns out, is National Animal Crackers Day.

What does that say about me?  And what, in the culinary world, does your birthday say about you?