Handmade candies are certainly popular.

I have several handmade baskets, though I confess that they were handed down to me from my parents. They don't have to be a staple, however, to still have a place these days.

> Really? Have you turned on the radio in the past 30 years? I live in a major metropolitan area, and there are only two classical music channels. And they are constantly going on fundraising drives, begging listeners to donate so that they can stay on the air.

That means that classical music hasn't found a stable home on the radio in your area. It doesn't at all mean that classical music and opera aren't booming. The 21st century is jam-packed with classical composers and there are plenty of people recording, performing, and consuming those works.