Yes, particularly as an ingredient in cakes and puddings. Medjool dates are my favourite to eat au naturel.
A box of dates is a traditional Christmas thing to have in the house over here. Usually no-one eats them until February when all the other stuff has finally been eaten, and by which time they're all dried up and horrible. At least, that's how it was when I was a kid.
Date nut bread, quite often , take the blocks if i can find them and cut them up,
Also get the good formed dates, open and fill with peanut butter and roll in sugar, favorite holiday treat that i cant eat anymore.
Christmas thing in my family too. Almonds wrapped in date and bacon are great horse doovers. There is a picture of some I made buried somewhere in a thread. The idea came from someone here in the Mess Hall . . . Devils on Horse back.