Even though fruitcake is a dish that dates back to ancient Rome, it’s also a dessert that’s often the butt of many jokes. This is particularly true in the United States, where only ten percent of the population has admitted to eating it. Still, fruitcake is commonly passed out during the holiday season, and this leaves many people with a big dilemma: what are they going to do with a fruitcake if they aren’t going to eat it? Well, if these people are looking for a solution, then they can observe National Fruitcake Toss Day on January 3rd. This is a holiday that makes a sport out of getting rid of all that holiday bread.

The History Of National Fruitcake Toss Day

This holiday can be traced back to a fruitcake toss competition that was held on January 3, 1996, in Manitou Springs. At this competition, contestants competed against one another to see who could throw their fruitcake the farthest at a local park. Now, over a quarter of a century later, people can still see if they can get any distance on their fruitcake throw.

Speaking of fruitcake, now that we know the origins of National Fruitcake Toss Day, let’s talk about the history of fruitcake itself. This dessert has been around for a long time, and when we say a long time, we mean all the way back to ancient Rome, over 2,000 years ago. This version of fruitcake was made with pine nuts, raisins, and pomegranate seeds that were mixed into a barley mash cake. Fruitcake is now a dessert that’s served all over the world. In England, it has become a traditional wedding cake. In Germany, it’s known as Stollen, and in Italy, it’s known as Panettone. Just about every country in the world has its own version of fruitcake, so maybe we should start giving this cake the respect it deserves.

Tasty Facts About Fruitcake

Let’s continue our discussion on fruitcake by taking a few moments to go over some of the facts we’ve learned about it. We did a ton of research for this holiday, and during that time, we came across some pretty fascinating facts.

Fruitcake Popularity Rose With The Popularity Of Sugar

Many people will probably wonder why fruitcake didn’t start gaining popularity until the 16th century when it had been around for thousands of years. Well, culinary historians believe that’s due to the fact that sugar was expensive. It only began to become popular when cheap sugar from the colonies flooded into Europe in the 1500s. That allowed more people to make fruitcakes.

Fruitcake Has Real Staying Power

Another thing people might not know is that a fruitcake prepared with the proper preservatives and stored in an airtight container can last up to 25 years. That makes it a good staple to keep in your cupboard for cake emergencies.

Observing National Fruitcake Toss Day

People eager to celebrate this holiday can do so either by traveling to Manitou Springs, Colorado, to participate in their annual fruitcake toss or they can stage their own. Regardless of which option you choose, just be sure to use the hashtag #NationalFruitcakeTossDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about this holiday to all the fruitcake haters out there on the Internet.