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. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading my blog and please share your thoughts about my blog post by leaving a comment.Your comment won't appear immediately as comments are verified before publication in an effort to reduce the amount of spam appearing. Anonymous comments will not be published.

Popular posts from this blog

Stitching Stories of Strength

  Last month, I was interviewed by Sian Goff , textileartist.org and here is the resulting article  Member Spotlight: Wilma Simmons  Stitching stories of strength When Wilma Simmons retired at 55 after a career as a high school principal, she made herself a promise: whatever came next would be creative. Two decades later, that promise has grown into a practice rooted in storytelling, sustainability, and a deep respect for the women who came before her. Based in Newcastle, Australia, Wilma has become a fixture of the textile art world, a longtime volunteer at the Timeless Textiles Gallery, a two-time solo exhibitor, and a member of Stitch Club almost since its very first year. Talking with her, it's easy to see why her work resonates: every piece carries a narrative, and every material has been chosen because it means something. Wilma Simmons , Thorax with Eucalyptus. Wilma Simmons , Wall, inspired by Ana Buzzalino. From clay and jewellery to cloth Wilma's crea...
Post a Comment
Read more

"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 ...
8 comments
Read more

Non-Committal Collage Anything Goes

Have you heard of non-committal collage?   I hadn't until one of the other participants of the 100 Day Project started doing this each day and showing the results....  Here are  Peggy's  rules :  1. S elect 9 scraps of paper from  collage  box/stash  2. Make three  different compositions using each scrap at least once.  (some pieces can be used more than once)  3. Do not alter the scraps of paper in any way.  4.Do not use glue.  5.Take photo, disassemble and return scraps to box.   I thought this would be a fun and quick exercise to do for Tag Tuesday's theme , Anything Goes... so here are my "non-committal collage" tags....  Did you spot the nine pieces? Would  you like to suggest some titles?   And I repeated the exercise before putting back the 9 scraps of paper, so these are different items.  Hope you will try this exercise -  it is lots of...
1 comment
Read more