The tradition of finding oranges in Christmas stockings has left many puzzled.
This long-standing festive custom has been explained by TikTok content creator Claire Dinhut, also known as Condiment Claire.
According to her, there are two main reasons for the inclusion of oranges during the holiday season. One reason is tied to a more modern interpretation, while the other is linked to the legend of Saint Nicholas.
Despite not being as common as they once were, the practice of placing oranges in Christmas stockings remains a cherished tradition for many. Claire shed light on why oranges continue to feature in our Christmas celebrations.
She explained: “Have you ever wondered why we put oranges in stockings? So there are actually two theories. First up, St Nicholas. Legend has it that St Nicholas found out about this poor guy who had three daughters. Now this poor guy couldn’t pay for his three daughters’ dowry so he was like ‘what am I gonna do?’.”
“So one night St Nick dropped gold in their chimney into their three stockings. So nowadays instead of putting gold in stockings, because, that would be great but a little nuts, people put oranges instead.”
The oranges are believed to symbolise the generous gift from St Nicholas to the father and his three daughters. An alternative perspective on the tradition of oranges in Christmas stockings, which gained attention on a TikTok post’s comment section, relates to wartime scarcity.
One user contributed: “I heard it was because kids in the war had to save a lot of rations for oranges as they were a foreign fruit so it was a rare present.” Claire acknowledged this as “theory two”.
Additionally, different reasons for the inclusion of oranges were discussed among users. According to one commenter, the fruit aids in creating an aesthetically pleasing stocking shape: “We put oranges in our stockings every year. It’s to fill out the toe of the sock so it doesn’t look so wonky.”
A separate Reddit thread delving into the origins revealed personal variations of the tradition. One user recounted: “We got chocolate oranges instead of oranges themselves. Mom’s family always did actual oranges, she moved here as a child from Galway.”
Another shared a humorous childhood memory, adding: “My parents did this when I was growing up and I’m sure it was because theirs did too. Pretty funny getting a bunch of video games and stuff and then – boom- an orange.”
A third remarked on the evolution of the practice in America, stating: “A long time ago this was an American thing too. But because we can get oranges anytime now, it’s not a special gift for Christmas anymore. But I can see how someone would carry on the tradition.”