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.
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.
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.
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!
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Yes, we always got an orange in our stocking and I am 68. We continued the tradition with our 4 children but I do not think they continued it. My mother told me the same story as your Mom. My Mom was born in 1920 and had 10 siblings so it was a huge gift to those children. My husband’s family did the same thing also.
Thanks for posting!
We always got an orange,candy cane, story book of life savers, chocolates, and a small gift. I still do the samething for my kids even though they are grown and moved away. When they come over for Christmas they go after there stockings first . It’s a lot of fun adding different items to the stockings , and to watch three grown men’s eyes with little boys thoughts coming threw loud and clear at the excitement and anticipation of what they will find in them.It never gets old, and always warms my heart. I also do this for the girlfriends so they look forward to this tradition as well.
Yes I forgot to add that we got barley animal candy , candy cane and book of lifesavers also. Love tradition!
We( 2 brothers and 1 sister) also received the orange as well as the life saver book any stories on that ?
Yes we do every year and it was the tradition your Mom told you about, fresh fruit was rare and that was a sweet gift everyone could have.
Always had oranges and walnuts in mine (even though i dont care for either lol). And for the same reason as your mom gave you. Its a tradition that will always be dear to my heart and passed down to our kids as well. Glad to know others out there have this same important tradition growing up ❤ yall have a Blessed and a very Merry Christmas!
Yes, my dad always got an apple, an orange, some mixed nuts, and a candy cane for Christmas. Was from a large farming family, and for them it was a big treat. Many people in the south do this.
I grew up in Oklahoma and we did the orange, apple, mixed nuts & candy cane and a few other things as well. We were always told it was a tradition as our parents and grandparents didn’t have much money and some years these were the only gifts they got. My dad always says and apple & orange together smells like Christmas to him.
My mother told me that during world war two, fruit like oranges were very hard to find and very expensive. So, it was a very special treat to get one for Christmas. From then on, it was a reminder to be grateful for all we have.
Growing up we always got an orange in the stocking. …because of the exact reasons u described. ….tradition and my grandmother did the same during the great depression. I love it.and continue to do it with my kids
We put oranges, candy and cereal in the stockings. Traditionally, I would end up being awake until 3:00-4:00 in the morning on Christmas Eve. The children could open their stocking while they had to wait to open gifts until I was awake. This way I got extra sleep and they got breakfast.
I always put fruit in my kids stocking to be sure they eat something healthy before they eat junk
We usually gave a piece of fruit (an orange) on “little Christmas” or the feast of the 3 kings, January 6th. they didn’t arrive on December 25th, cause it took the 3 kings a while to reach baby Jesus after he was born ya know.
Hello! Two things – most of our Christmas customs come from Germany and other Northern countries. Oranges, which ripen in December in the Southern countries like Italy and Spain were very expensive because they were imported, which was a lot more of big deal than today. What your mother said is beautiful, but when these traditions started, oranges were a treat for the middle and upper classes and still, unfortunately, pretty rare for the poorer people.
That being said, here is a story that illustrates the orange with Saint Nicholas for young children and provides a different kind of meaning. Wishing you a beautiful holiday season!
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/waldorf-2/
I too received oranges in my stocking at Christmas and my parents grew up during the depression era. My Dad always said they were a special treat. He sometimes put a half dollar in there too. Sure wish I’d saved them instead of spent them. If you can, be sure and watch the movie “Christmas Oranges”.
That’s what my grandparents used to tell me to. I got an orange & a pear, always loved them Now that I’m older I really understand the meaning
We had the same tradition in our family, but I had to switch it up after the kids started counting the number of oranges in the house on Christmas Eve, so I got them all Chocolate oranges one year. Now this is a new tradition for my kids.
It’s a tradition for us too. I’d never heard that story before… I figured it was from the depression like you said.
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One of my fondest childhood memories is getting an apple and an orange at the church Christmas celebration.
I think the real reason is because the fresh new crop of Oranges is ripe just before Christmas and the market has a plentiful supply of this fruit which keeps well without refrigeration and is in Season unlike most fruits at Christmas.
Thank you. All these years I thought my mom was the only one who did this. She was so poor they rarely had oranges, and not even much meat. She lost all her teeth and thought the lack of vitamin C was the reason. She gave us a huge navel orange in the bottom of our stockings, and allowed us to open them and eat the orange, hoping it would keep us quiet for awhile. Thank you so much for sharing these reasons. I always thought that our move to California particularly pleased my mother since we were surrounded by orange groves.
Merry Christmas Mary,
We always had a tangerine in the toe of our stockings. My mom’s story is very much like yours. She grew up very poor. She passed away this past September. Thank you for your wonderful post.
Always an orange and big bar of chocolate
Ours is a tangerine, and it is tradition!
hah! My mom always said it was because that was the perfect thing to fit in the toe!