Christmas Oranges | More Than a Satsuma

It’s not that I didn’t know Christmas was coming. The decorations have been up for a month now. The the lights, wreaths and and my daughter’s constant asking, “When are we getting a tree?” were not subtle reminders. I have a full schedule but I’m not that oblivious. Nor were my ears which had picked up on Christmas music playing in every store. I heard, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” as I hustled through the grocery store to grab something last minute for supper.

I knew it was Christmas but it didn’t quite hit me until I noticed the “Christmas Orange” otherwise known as Satsuma oranges, display front and center of the produce section. It stopped me in my tracks and I had to pick one up and smell it. My mind flashed back to my sisters and I pulling an orange out of the toe of our stockings and snacking on it while we opened gifts.

There are many theories about the origin of the tradition, from it being good luck, to symbolically representing gold, to it once being a rare and difficult to acquire and therefore a present, but for me it’s a nice reminder of how important fresh food is. I bought some oranges, then and there, and ate one driving home. I thought about how lucky we are to still have a tradition involving real food. I loved getting the oranges as a child and will continue to do it with my daughter, although I don’t think she’ll appreciate as much as the chocolate but hey, she’s three.

Happy Satsuma Season!

Love,

The Abeego Hive