Celebrating Fruitcake

The holiday season can be really stressful. Hemorrhaging bank accounts and stressed credit limits pave the way for mountains of gifts and decorations under the tree and decking the halls, holiday traffic and lines at the airport eat away at the precious few moments of the lives of millions, and holiday cheer in the form of eggnog and cookies and Christmas dinner add on to the pounds and high blood pressure initiated at Thanksgiving. Spring cleaning exists because the shock to the system the holiday season brings creates a kind of holly jolly coma to cope with the struggles of December I think. There has to be a moment of reprieve from the madness. There needs to be a moment-- if only a night-- that can aid in unwinding from the holiday horrors and remind us that this time of year can be a good thing.

Ladies and gentlemen, Independence, California, has your answer; The 10th Annual Independence Fruitcake Festival.

No, seriously, keep reading. Trust me.

I won't be able to attend this year since I'll be out of town, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on the fun! I've written about it before in my critically acclaimed (though inconsistently updated) blog, and I will forever sing its liquor-soaked candied praises. It's exactly what you'd expect; a kooky collection of fruitcake and eggnog, singing and dancing, costumes and contests, and fabulous prizes, held at the American Legion Hall in Independence, California. The Inyo County Superior Court judges preside over the fruitcake contest, judging the best of the best from the ancient loaves and the best costumes out of the crowd. This years "Saturday Night Fruitcake Fever" theme should bring about even more dancing and even wackier costumes, and I don't know who in their right mind would want to miss out on a spectacle like that.

Why do I speak so highly of this event after being skeptical about it in the past? It's fun. It's a distraction from the headaches of gift wrapping and the "is she/he going to like this? Is it the right size?" thoughts that nag people into submission. It's a celebration of the simpler aspects of the holiday, taking something usually shunned and shied away from and making a party around it. You don't have to like fruitcake or eggnog to appreciate community and laughter from a good time, but you can get all of those things on December 13th.

If you happen to find yourself around Independence on Saturday and feel like cutting loose or cutting a rug on the dance floor you should consider checking out the scene at the Fruitcake Festival. It's fun and festive time worth checking out at least once. Once you do, I think you'll be open to trying it once again.

Since I can't go this year, someone drink some nog for me and have a good time.