Fruitcake: ghost of Christmas past – and future

Dec. 2, 2008, LINDSAY, Ont. – Pity the poor fruitcake. It's the ghost of Christmas pasts, the traditional treat that's
regifted so often that Johnny Carson used to joke that there was only
one fruitcake in the world, passed on from family to family.

Dec. 2, 2008, LINDSAY, Ont. – Pity the poor fruitcake. It's the ghost of Christmas pasts, the traditional treat that's
regifted so often that Johnny Carson used to joke that there was only
one fruitcake in the world, passed on from family to family.

But do not despair the fruitcake's future. First made with
pomegranate seeds and barley mash in ancient Rome, it has endured
generations of snide remarks and will probably outlive us all. (It
certainly has a long shelf life. Its popularity really took off when
sugar was discovered to be a naturally sweet preservative in the 16th
century.)

This Christmas, chances are that a Shriner wearing a bright red
fez will ask you to buy a box of fruitcake. Fruitcake is a traditional
fundraiser for the benevolent organization and, like Girl Guide
cookies, there is only one time of year you'll be made such an offer. | FULL STORY