Christmas stocking oranges tradition has a Minnesota link
December 23, 2011
St. Paul, Minn. — Waking up Christmas morning to find an orange in the bottom of a stocking is a tradition familiar to many of us who grew up in the Midwest. The practice dates back to the late 1800s when oranges were considered a rare delicacy.
Historian Annette Atkins says the idea of giving oranges as Christmas gifts may be traced back to a couple who founded the town of Northfield, Minn. Click on the audio link above to hear her conversation with MPR on Morning Edition.
