Which of these fruits is associated with Christmas?
Citrus fruits are not typically ripe until the autumn and winter months so have traditionally been included in the festive season as they are a sign that Christmas is near but according to legend, the reason why we include oranges in our stockings at Christmas is thanks to St Nicholas.
Renowned for using his wealth to help others, St Nicholas learned of three sisters who could not be wed as they were too poor to afford a dowry. In true St Nick style, he dropped three golden balls down their chimney to help them in their plight. The golden balls landed in stockings that were drying by the fire and so the oranges we give today came to represent the gold and generosity of St Nicholas.
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64 Comments
Player Dennis
I've never heard of this tradition.
Leapy Lee
It would help if people writing questions put some geographic details as to where they are referring to. If this is a British thing, then say so. In Australia we don’t associate any specific fruit with Christmas.
johnbheymann
Not in the Southern Hemisphere !
soldbyjanet
I am 77 years old and have never heard of this! Where did this come from?
Leapy Lee
Albeck1994, the website listed as the reference is British, so I assumed the custom was British. That was my point though, tell us where the author is referring to.
Coral Harvey
As children we traditionally got an apple and an orange and half crown in our stocking hanging from the mantle piece.
It's a traditional thing symbolic of wishing the recipient health and riches in the new year.
It may just be traditional in the UK.
Suzanne Wilson
Maybe in the northern hemisphere! Here in Australia, fruits that are in season around Christmas are all the stone fruits, with mango a particular favourite, as well as watermelon which is at its best.
Linda M Jones
I'm Canadian, born in the 1950's and mandarins were only available at Christmas then. Mandarins also used to only come from Japan and were called Japanese oranges. Makes sense if this is a British tradition because Canada is part of the Commonwealth. We associate cranberries with Thanksgiving and turkey, although we can also have turkey at Christmas.
Joe
Mandarin oranges are associated with Chinese New Year
kathybenson
I don't know where you got this from but here in USA we tradionally use apples in apple pie for Christmas and secondly do you know the real reason fir christmas it has nothing to do with Saint Nicholas
Alana King
I know that oranges are prominent with Christmas in the UK and other European countries (Clementine orange is abundant in the UK around Christmas) but yeah, as an Aussie, I wouldn't say we hold any traditions towards particular fruit, other than the fact that cherries are abundant and added to many desserts.
bdkerr
Apple is the fruit of choice in all of my years of growing up in Michigan.
elizawheeler
Coral Harvey, we also got oranges. It's how my ma's family celebrated, and they are German.
elizawheeler
Leapy Lee, my ma's side of the family is German. That's where I heard the tradition came from.
Glynis Rix
Never heard of that in South Africa!
Stephen W. Gerrard
That's a new one! None of the above was not an option.
Karin Johansson
Paul Greenslade, not in the northern hemisphere. Here those are more late summer
or autumn fruits.
Karin Johansson
Elsy O. Stromberg, we do in the Northern countries. Early it was not available here. Not until after the WW2 was it easier to find them. So because Christmas was special people bought it them then. Citrus fruits was not what you did buy all year round. Still it is connected with Christmas here.
Phillip Garfoot
Apple & orange in your stocking?
Leapy Lee
Louella Wilson, sorry, but that does not mean all Australians associate any particular fruit with Christmas
seane
Ii would say eggnog before any of these!
Lynda Wild
Not in Australia but