Friends and followers who have kindly left comments here in the past day or so: I apologize for being slow to reply.

William Lindsey :toad:

When we understood that there had been Thanksgiving celebrations in Virginia predating the mythic "original" one in New England….

We also knew that Christmas had long been celebrated lavishly by our forebears, who brought the lavish celebration from the British Isles to the colonies, whiile that holiday was forbidden in New England — so we were all the more intent to celebrate it in style.

Hence my baking Christmas items in preparation for Thanksgiving….

#Thanksgiving #family
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William Lindsey :toad:

We will cut into one of the mincemeat pies tomorrow, so the baking does cover both holidays. My spouse and his brother who will join us for dinner have family traditions handed down from their German ancestors of goose or duck at Thanksgiving — so they've gotten two ducks for us — and will make their traditional family recipe for Knödels, handed down from a German-Bohemian great-grandmother, to go with the duck. I'll contribute cornbread dressing.

#Thanksgiving #family
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William Lindsey :toad:

For anyone celebrating this quintessentially American holiday — a form of civic religion, to my way of thinking, that too easily allows us to imagine we're gathered into one big happy family with God looking down in gratification at what we've achieved — I wish a peaceful and restful holiday. We have long days of work ahead of us, and I think those days will be full of darkness. So all the more reason to feast now.

#Thanksgiving #family
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William Lindsey :toad:

@wood5y Definitely! A prerogative of the child who "helps" with the baking….

Steve Woods

@wdlindsy Good on you!

One thing I bet your gran didn't add to her Christmas cake was laundry whitener affectionately known as dolly blue.

My late mother used to add it to icing, which went on blue and ended up a dazzling white when it was served at table.

Bluing (fabric) - Wikipedia

(en.wikipedia.org)

Dan Sugalski

@wdlindsy I've always been curious -- does that long a wait improve the fruitcake flavor/texture more than a shorter one? I can see a few days making a difference but a full month seems less likely to matter. (Though these things are sometimes surprising and it may well make a big difference)

EarthMomma

@wdlindsy

The LAST Feast.......

William Lindsey :toad:

@LaNaehForaday I fear.

William Lindsey :toad:

@wordshaper I may think it makes a difference primarily because it's "always been done" that way, and my own family tradition comes from a grandmother I loved dearly (who had that tradition handed down to her). But I do think that the long process of ripening as liquor is splashed over a cake full of candied and dried fruits and nuts may help the flavors almagate and deepen.

William Lindsey :toad:

@wood5y I do remember bluing from the past, part of the washing, rinsing, ironing process to make whites sparkle. Fruitcakes were never iced in my culture, so no danger of my grandmother adding bluing to her icing. She did also always make a beautiful, high multi-layer coconut cake for Christmas, grating fresh coconut for it, but I don't think she "blued" her icing for that!

Steve Woods

@wdlindsy Happy memories.

William Lindsey :toad:

@Doreen32128 Thank you for the condolences. I spoke to him by phone yesterday and he sounded better than he has sounded, so that makes me feel better, though I know the prognosis is not at all good. Thanks for the compliments on the food I'm preparing. I hope it will be fit to taste, as my paternal grandmother invariably said when she served food!

William Lindsey :toad:

@wood5y Yes, indeed. Time marches relentlessly on, and it's at these family holiday times that I both remember family members who have gone on, and realize how keenly I miss them even now.