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.