Fruitcake is a running joke of the holiday season. But it wasn't always like that. 

Fruitcake can be traced back to ancient Rome. The recipe consisted of pomegranate seeds, nuts, raisins, and combined with barley mash. During the middle ages, they also added honey, spices, and preserved fruit.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, fruitcake was served during a celebration like Christmas or a wedding. It was considered a very decadent and special treat.

During the 20th century, the Smithsonian says the first nail was hammered into the fruitcake coffin with beginning of dry mass produced mail-order fruitcake. When you add in Johnny Carson's fruitcake jokes along with Jay Leno's 'The Fruitcake Lady,' you have all the necessary ingredients needed for fruitcake jokes to stand the test of time.


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