Is That An Orange In Your Stocking, Or Are You Just Glad It’s Christmas?

We had this tradition when I was growing up, that we would receive an orange in our stocking on Christmas morning.  Well, I was never particularly excited to get fruit instead of toys or candy and I remember asking my mom about this once.  She said it was a tradition from when she was growing up, oranges were hard to come by and were considered a special treat.  I thought that was nice, but we had oranges in the fridge, so it wasn’t that big of a deal to me. But I was cool with it.

Well, fast forward several years and my kids started getting oranges in their stockings too.  They thought (and probably still do) that this was weird.  My wife hadn’t heard of this tradition either, so I figured it must’ve been something unique to our family.  Turns out, I was wrong.

Kelli Foster, esteemed Food Editor for the website thekitchn.com did an extensive investigation into this Christmas mystery and has uncovered four possible explanations for how this tradition came to be.

“1. According to (one) story, St. Nicholas learned of a poor man who wasn’t able to find suitors for his three daughters because he didn’t have money for a dowry. St. Nicholas traveled to the house and tossed three sacks of gold down the chimney for each of the dowries. The gold happened to land in each of the girls’ stockings which were hanging by the fire to dry. The oranges we receive today are a symbol of the gold that was left in the stockings.

2. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, money was tight, and many families simply didn’t have the means to buy gifts. Instead, it was such a treat, even a luxury, to find things like a sweet orange or some walnuts in your stocking on Christmas. (DCB - This was my mom’s version of the story.)

3. Some also offer the idea that fresh oranges were hard to come by, especially in the north, so finding one of these fruits in your stocking was a huge treat, and a way of celebrating the holiday. (DCB – Pretty close to mom’s story.)

4. Another theory behind the tradition is that December is the season of giving, and the orange segments represent the ability to share what you have with others.”

Thanks Kelli! Orange you glad I asked? 😊

Did you ever receive an orange in your stocking on Christmas morning?  Maybe you got something else, like Oreos, or Chapstick.  Coal, anyone?

Feel free to comment and let me know!

-DCB