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Did You Ever Wonder Why We Put Oranges In Christmas Stockings?

Every year from when I was little until even now, I’ve always gotten a stocking for Christmas from my parents. It had candy, of course, and some little toy (or usually a gift card now), and an orange. When I was younger the orange would always roll away (or be nudged with a petulant toe) only to be found under the couch or in a corner after all the wrapping paper was picked up.

This year, I decided to finally ask my mom why we put oranges in Christmas stockings and her answer was so sweet.

 

orange for Christmas

Did You Ever Wonder Why We Put Oranges In Christmas Stockings?

“Tradition,” she said.

Not a great answer, as far as answers go, but sweet.

Then she explained, when she was growing up her family didn’t have much money. Things like toys, candies, and especially fresh fruit were rare. Her parents were children of the great depression, and fresh fruit would have been even more rare for them.

So receiving an orange in the stocking was actually an enormous gift. It was a way of making sure every child had at least one sweet present to open on Christmas morning, no matter what.

How amazing is my mom?

I looked up the real answer when I got home, and it’s kind of cool, too.

Apparently back before St. Nicholas was a Saint, he was a bishop. Story goes he rode through a town where a shopkeeper had three beautiful daughters and couldn’t afford a dowry. Which meant the girls would be destitute once the father passed away.

 

We Put Oranges In Christmas Stockings

 

Bishop Nicholas, realizing the father was a proud man, tossed three sacks of gold through an open window (or down a chimney, depending on where you read it) while the family was sleeping and one of the bags landed in the toe of a stocking that had been hung by the fire to dry.

When the family awakened in the morning, they found the gold, including the one in the sock which had turned into a ball overnight.

So giving the orange is a way to celebrate generosity and caring for others without thinking about a gift in return. It’s meant to symbolize that gold ball and as a reminder to care for those in need.

We Put Oranges In Christmas Stockings

 

Both beautiful stories, but my mom’s is definitely the one that meant the most to me.

Do you give out oranges in stockings? Did you ever know why, or is it a family tradition in your home, too?

Merry Christmas!

 

Christmas Orange

Have you ever wondered why we hide a pickle in the Christmas tree? Click here to find out.

We Put Oranges In Christmas Stockings

Belinda

Sunday 22nd of December 2019

My parents not only put oranges but all kinds of fruit. Again they would talk about how they were poor. But my mom would say that their stockings were filled on January 6.

Donna

Sunday 22nd of December 2019

We always got oranges or a tangerine in the toe of our Christmas stockings too. I also heard it was tradition from the Depression Era, and I also heard it was because Christmas is in winter and oranges were full of vitamin C, which is lacking in most peoples diets during the winter months. Either answer makes sense to me.

Mike Johnsin

Thursday 19th of December 2019

My mom also put an orange in our stockings. It was a tradition she said from her mom and her grandmother. There wasn’t a lot of money back then. Oranges were the sweet treat.

Robin

Tuesday 17th of December 2019

Why does someone have to call something made by God like and orange pagan. Always out to make something bad out of something sweet and memorable.

witch

Friday 13th of December 2019

need to dig deeper, oranges are a pagan decoration, your story is just more appropriation by catholics.

Shirley

Sunday 15th of December 2019

Oranges were rare on the frontier, and most children had never even seen one, so they were special. Later, they were too expensive for many (such as my mom's family) to enjoy year round during the Depression. My preacher grandpa was most certainly not a Catholic!