"FRUITCAKE!"

[Persepone]

I love fruitcake. Most of it is good, although there are a few I've had that were not so good. If it does not have brandy in it, it can get stale... (If it has enough brandy in it, it lasts "forever"--it sort of pickles).

I think a lot of the negative association with fruitcake is that it always seemed to be a disappointing gift to children who expected something wonderful from the "wealthy aunts" or other relatives who could have afforded the wonderful toy and gave fruitcake instead. No matter how good the fruitcake, it was sort of like ashes because of the circumstances...

My parents always screwed up Christmas and when other kids got wonderful stuff, we got things like a new toothbrush in our Christmas stocking when someone remembered to put stuff in it at all... They never got it right... ever... And those who might have somehow been able to make a difference did tend to come across with fruitcake... Which actually was often the best thing... But I did associate it with a certain amount of disappointment even though I liked it.

When I grew up, I figured out how to change things--and then Christmas was wonderful and so I could enjoy the fruitcakes... They were never substitutes for anything. They shared space with wonderful gingerbread houses, mountains of toys, cookies and no one ever was "required" to take even a polite little nibble. They never got put out for company, etc. but were served only on request. My daughter and her kids have no negative associations with fruitcakes. Some like it and some don't.

Alas, all my old fruitcake sources have died of old age, so for the past couple of years I've made/bought my own (a private stash)... But I welcome "regifted" fruitcake...