Barmbrack (Irish: báirín breac, "speckled loaf") is a yeasted Irish sweet bread studded with dried fruit such as raisins, currants, or mixed peel, traditionally eaten around Halloween and Christmas.
Its Halloween traditions are often linked to older Celtic harvest festivals, though the exact origin is hard to date precisely: small charms such as a ring, coin, thimble, or scrap of cloth are baked into the loaf, and finding one in your slice is said to predict your fortune for the year (a ring for marriage, a coin for wealth, and so on).
Barmbrack has a dense, moist crumb and mild sweetness from the fruit; it's usually sliced, sometimes toasted, and served with butter, jam, or tea. Versions exist wherever there are Irish immigrant communities, including parts of the UK, the US, and Canada.
Beyond its holiday role, barmbrack can be used like other fruited breads - cubed into bread pudding or stuffing, or served on a cheese board alongside cured meats and preserves.