Where did the Tradition of Putting an Orange in a Stocking at Christmas Come From?
Why the Christmas Orange is a Symbol of Miracles: The Story of the Most Expensive Golden Gift
Some families still have a tradition of giving oranges in stockings for Christmas. For Christmas, my grandparents always gave us a bag of various candies and a sack of oranges, apples, and unshelled walnuts (which I absolutely loved).
Now you can buy oranges year-round; they’re no longer a rarity, but I still prefer to buy them in December and January. For me, these are childhood memories associated with this wonderful holiday.
But where did this tradition come from? There are two versions of how oranges came to be placed in stockings. I’ll start with the version I prefer because it smells like magic.
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| Photo by Elijah Pilchard on Unsplash |
Gifts of Saint Nicholas
This story takes place in the city of Patara, an ancient city in Lycia, in what is now Turkey.
Long ago, there lived a man with three daughters. He had no money, having lost all his fortune,++ and was now a widower. At that time, in order to marry off daughters, they needed a dowry. Without one, they would not marry. And if a girl could not marry, her fate was unenviable — it condemned her to poverty or a dishonorable fate of disgrace. Of course, the father did not wish such a fate on his beloved daughters, but he did not know what to do.
Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from Myra (now Turkey), learned of this situation. He later became the prototype of Santa Claus and was known for his generosity and love of giving gifts.
Nicholas knew the man was proud and wouldn’t accept monetary help. So Saint Nicholas decided to throw three bags of gold down the chimney (according to another version, three golden balls; according to a third, gold jewelry).
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| Photo by Frederick Adegoke Snr. on Unsplash |
The girls were drying their stockings on the fireplace (as was common), and the golden balls landed right in their stockings. Waking up in the morning, the girls discovered this miracle and were able to marry. Thus, each of the daughters received her chance at a happy life thanks to kind
ness. Since then, it has become customary to hang stockings on the fireplace to receive gifts. The orange has come to symbolize the round golden balls, which proved a miracle for one family.
The second version is oranges as a shortage
Imagine England, London in the 19th century: the Industrial Revolution, the city filled with coal-fired factories, the air thick with coal particles, making it hard to breathe, visibility poor, and everything around you gray. People only have oatmeal, potatoes, and bread for food, all in shades of beige, without a single bright spot on their plates. The food is simple, but it fills you up for the whole day.
And then a grimy child wakes up on Christmas Eve. He goes to warm himself by the fireplace, where his snow-soaked socks are drying. He notices that the sock is unusually shaped — there’s something inside! He carefully removes the sock and reaches inside to pull out the contents: something round and hard. Upon removing the round object, the child sees that it’s a bright orange, like the sun, or like real gold! It was a true miracle!
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| Photo by Torben Gettermann on Unsplash |
Why is this? Oranges were once grown in Spain, Portugal, and North Africa, and transported by sea. Ships had to weather storms and deliver the fruit before it spoiled. Ships weren’t very fast. Shipping was dangerous, slow (taking weeks), and expensive. A single orange could cost as much as several loaves of bread or as many eggs. People saved for long periods to be able to buy an orange for their child for Christmas.
This fruit was considered exotic and was available mainly to the wealthy. Until the 1840s, oranges were a privilege of the aristocracy. Then, steamships and railroads began to be built. Fruit delivery became relatively fast, and they didn’t have time to rot en route. By the end of the 19th century, the fruit appeared in the country more frequently, prices fell, and poor people could afford this luxury once a year. It’s expensive, but worth only as much as they could save. So the orange became a gift that, although not real wealth, demonstrated care and generosity by filling the sock to the very end.
How the tradition took hold
The tradition emerged in the United States in the early 19th century, around 1810, when the Dutch, having migrated to New Amsterdam (New York), adopted the tradition of Sinterklaas, who gave gifts in shoes or socks on his holiday (this used to be December 5th. It is still St. Nicholas Day/Sinterklaas Day in the Netherlands and other countries).
In 1823, Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” whose lines cemented the tradition of hanging socks on the fireplace: “The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…”
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| Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash |
In Victorian times (and even earlier), stockings were the most important place for gifts; even after Christmas trees became popular, stockings were reserved for small gifts (stocking stuffers) and sweets. Thus, the tradition takes root: stockings are hung on the fireplace, with an orange and small gifts placed inside. Stockings become a must-have during Christmas time. The celebration of St. Nicholas Day gradually gives way to Christmas, celebrated on December 25th.
So what is an orange in a sock? It’s not just a relic of the past, not just a joy for a child from a poor family. An orange is a symbol of miracles, secret generosity, miraculous help, and the idea that the most precious gift is not its price, but the love and care it symbolizes.
So, while historians search for the precise routes of past trade routes, I, like the old masters, focus on creating my own little treasures. I make things that, like that golden orange in the stocking, are meant to bring joy and wonder. Perhaps you, too, will find something useful here, or just a sweet detail that will warm your soul? 🦝
Do you still receive oranges in your sock?
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