by Bridget Richard

Every holiday season, fruitcake is burnt at the societal stake. Many people complain saying, “It’s too dense,” or “It’s disgusting,” or “It’s ugly.”

And dare I say, that doesn’t seem at all like a tiding of joy. Why is this great holiday staple so hated? I don’t think it should be.

Here’s why:

1.) Fruitcake has interesting historical roots. The idea of combining fruit and cake goes as far back as the Romans, who used barley mash and pomegranate seeds.

2.) People tend to like blueberry muffins, so what’s the difference? It’s fruit baked in sweet dough.

3.) It’s a cheap holiday tradition. Really, you can find one at Walmart for under $5.

4.) Only the U.S seems to hate this dessert so much. The idea was first popularized by Johnny Carson, joking that there is only one fruitcake in existence that gets passed from family to family. If he hadn’t made that joke popular on national television, you wouldn’t have participated in a society that hated fruitcake.

So maybe the next time someone tries to pass a fruitcake on to you–however often that might occur–keep it. Be happy about it. Because not only can you have your fruitcake, but you can eat it too.