Skip to main content

Countdown to Christmas 12 - Love it or hate it?

What a surprise to me, who loves eating Christmas fruit cake, that in a survey about what people did with fruit cake that only 28% said they ate it! 
The other results in a survey conducted in "The New York Times"  reported that a research firm polled 1,000 people indicated that: 

  • 38% said they gave it away 
  • 28% said they ate it 
  • 13% used it as a doorstop 
  • 9% scattered it for birds 
  • and 8% said they couldn't remember.....  

A fairly negative result for the fruitcake in the popularity stakes. 
I must emphasise that this survey was completed in USA and some years ago in the late 1990's.  Even in the USA, the fruitcake's popularity differs in the Southern states where about 40% admitted to loving fruitcake. So like all statistics, how well do the figures reflect the reality  and how many factors  need to be considered ? However many surveys on fruitcake we look at - it appears that I was wrong in thinking everyone likes fruitcake   So like all statistics, some  general conclusions may be drawn from the results - some people love Christmas fruitcake and some people hate it!


Sadly it would appear that there are many people who hate fruitcake. which was named as one of the worst Christmas gifts to receive! You may have heard about the bad rap the Tonight Show gave the fruitcake. 
The worst Christmas gift is fruitcake,” cracked Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. “There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other, year after year.”We all hear the infamous fruitcake jokes year after year: “Why does fruitcake make the perfect gift? Because the U.S. Postal Service hasn’t found a way to damage it.” (from http://grubamericana.com )
Perhaps the fruitcake was saved from being named the worst fate one could suffer during the festive season , A majority of people said that they preferred to eat a whole fruitcake than spending a week with their in-laws! 
For those of us who love fruitcake, do not despair - there are many of us ! You only need to have a look at  the Facebook pages - Fruitcake Lovers Unite and Fruitcake Lovers United FLU  or check out the Fruit cake Lovers  Pinterest page full of delectable recipes. And if you are a really serious lover of fruitcake, perhaps the Society for the Preservation and Protection of the Fruitcake will offer a safe haven from the seemingly hoards of fruitcake haters! 

Tomorrow - some other uses for  Christmas fruitcake. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

May I Present Mrs Chalumeau...

Finally Mrs Chalumeau takes a bow …She is a Pearly Queen … 695 buttons on the doll and 10 on the journal.(I think – could be more). I would like to thank Paula from Antiques and Collectables here in Hamilton, Newcastle and Raku Buttons ETSY seller for supplying me with about 500 of the vintage mother of pearl buttons, and the rest I had in my stash. I think they look great on my pearly queen, but I am truly tired of sewing on buttons. It made me think however, how many buttons must be on the elaborate clothes of the real pearly Kings and Queens! I drew my inspiration from the lovely lady pictured here, and the following description from Wikipedia. ... A Pearly King ( feminine form Pearly Queen) is a person dressed in a traditional Cockney costume covered in mother-of-pearl buttons. These costumes were treasured heirlooms, hand made and sometimes representing much of a family's wealth. .... This doll is all cloth – a little different from most of my other dolls which generally h

"Temari Or Not Temari?" Tutorial

 Background Information:  Temari (literally translated “hand ball”) is a Japanese folk craft that is alleged to have originated in China and was introduced to Japan five or six hundred years ago. Traditionally, the balls were constructed from wrapped kimono fabric remnants and silk threads. They were made by mothers and grandmothers for children to play with. Nowadays, decorative embroidered temari represent a highly valued and cherished gift symbolizing friendship and loyalty. Recently I've wondered if your don't use traditional techniques whether you should call what you create "temari". That is an ongoing debate but today I share what I do to make a "non-traditional temari".... 1.I start  with a polystrene ball ( traditionally the balls were wound  silk scraps or other organic materials) and begin to wrap with approx 4 ply wool, turning the ball as I wrap.  2. I then wrap another layer of wool in a similar fashion , this time a 3 or 2

Wednesday's Child /2

Work in Progress - 3 of the 193 for "Stitched Up"- Wilma Simmons   The work for the "Stitched Up " Project  continues. See the previous "Wednesday Child" post for the background to this art project celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Newcastle Industrial School. I have been documenting the progress of my work, so I thought it might be interesting to share some of the early stages of the "stick dolls" ... Here are some of the beginning steps.. Sticks collected while walking the bushland in my neighbourhood  Drying and getting rid of any insects - oven heat 75 degreesC for approx 1-2 hours.  Trimmed and cut if necessary  Ends sealed with matte sealing solution.  Drying  - solution goes on white but dries clear.  First wrapping - foil to create a body shape  Second wrapping - stretch fabric.  Third wrapping - fabric strips  Some stitching - more stitching and embellishment to come.  Follow thi