Fruitcake Toss Day (January 3)
Every year on January 3rd, people gather to do something unusual—throw fruitcakes as far as possible!
Fruitcake Toss Day started as a quirky way to get rid of leftover holiday fruitcakes, turning an often-unwanted gift into a fun competition.
From high-powered launchers to simple hand tosses, participants find creative ways to send their fruitcakes flying.
Whether you join in the fun or bake a fresh fruitcake to enjoy, this holiday is a perfect way to kick off the new year.
Keep reading to learn more about this weird January holiday.
When is the Holiday?
Fruitcake Toss Day is celebrated annually on January 3rd, giving people a chance to start fresh after the holiday season—literally throwing away what they no longer need.
While most participants stick to traditional tossing methods, some take it to the extreme, building elaborate contraptions to hurl their fruitcakes as far as possible.
Who Invented It?
The tradition began in 1996 in Manitou Springs, Colorado, when a group of locals decided to do something fun with all the leftover holiday fruitcakes.
Instead of letting them sit uneaten in cupboards for another year, they turned the act of getting rid of them into a friendly competition.
What started as a simple event quickly grew into an annual festival with categories for distance, accuracy, and even teamwork.
The History of the Holiday
Fruitcake itself has a long and layered history. The earliest versions date back to ancient Rome, where a mixture of pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and barley formed a dense, energy-packed cake.
By the Middle Ages, fruitcakes had evolved into a sweeter treat with honey, spices, and dried fruit. The 1600s brought refined sugar, making fruitcake more affordable and popular across Europe.
Over time, fruitcake became a staple holiday gift, but not always a welcome one.
The joke of regifting fruitcakes took hold, and eventually, they gained a reputation as a dessert that was more often stored than eaten.
The idea of tossing them instead of keeping them was a natural next step.
The first Great Fruitcake Toss in Manitou Springs turned this joke into a full-blown event, encouraging people to make use of their unwanted holiday cakes in the most entertaining way possible.
Top 5 Facts About the Holiday
- The event includes competitions for distance, accuracy, and balance.
- Some participants use catapults, slingshots, and even cannons to launch their fruitcakes.
- In one year, a contestant used an exercise-bike-powered cannon to throw a fruitcake!
- Leftover fruitcakes from the event are fed to farm animals to ensure they don’t go to waste.
- The record for the farthest fruitcake toss is over 1,400 feet, achieved using a specially designed mechanical launcher.
Activities to Celebrate
If you’re not near Manitou Springs to join the official event, there are still plenty of ways to take part in the fun.
- Host your own fruitcake toss – Gather friends and family and see who can throw their fruitcake the farthest. If you’re feeling ambitious, build a slingshot or catapult to take it to the next level!
- Get creative with fruitcake repurposing – Instead of tossing it outside, try chopping up your fruitcake and using it in new ways, like turning it into cake truffles or mixing it into a bread pudding.
- Organize a fruitcake obstacle course – Set up a fun challenge where participants must throw their fruitcake through a series of targets. Bonus points for accuracy!
- Make a fresh fruitcake you’ll actually eat – Not all fruitcakes deserve to be tossed! Bake a version packed with fresh ingredients and modern flavors, making it a treat rather than a joke.
Related Recipes for the Holiday
If you’d rather eat your fruitcake than toss it, these recipes offer creative ways to enjoy this classic holiday dessert:
- A fudge-style fruitcake that combines the flavors of traditional fruitcake with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Cookie bars that blend the festive flavors of fruitcake with the chewy, sweet bite of a homemade cookie.
- Spiced fruitcake cookies packed with dried fruit and nuts, offering a soft and chewy alternative to the dense traditional version.
- A layered dessert bar that brings together candied cherries, raisins, almonds, and coconut for a colorful, crunchy treat.
- Cake balls made from leftover fruitcake, dipped in chocolate for a rich and indulgent bite-sized dessert.
- A rum-glazed fruitcake banana bread, blending two classic flavors for a unique twist on a holiday favorite.
Links to Resources
- Let Your Fruitcake Fly in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
Related Holidays
- Pancake Day (Day before Ash Wednesday)
- National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day (March 24)
- World Juggling Day (Third Saturday in June) – If tossing a fruitcake isn’t enough, why not learn to juggle with them?
- National Sponge Cake Day (August 23)
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