Christmas is different for many of us this year due to the rising cost of living, so it may feel like there isn’t as much to be grateful for. It got us thinking about past holiday traditions like adding fresh oranges to stockings, which used to be a highlight and a treat!
This tradition may have started during the Great Depression when money was tight and oranges were considered an exotic luxury. Another theory behind the custom is that as December is the season of giving, the orange segments represent the opportunity to share what we have with others. Oranges in stockings are even thought to represent an important part of St Nicholas’s origin story! Legend has it he gave three bags of gold to a poor man whose daughters couldn’t marry because he couldn’t afford the dowries, according to Smithsonian.com. The tale says that St. Nicholas tossed the gold down the man’s chimney, which ended up in the daughters’ stockings, drying by the fire. Later in history, people began to honour the story and saint by gifting oranges to represent the bags of gold.
We’ve heard and expressed enough complaints about how bloated and overly commercialised Christmas has become. The resulting stress about meeting financial and time obligations can leave people dreading Christmas, which means the point of the season can be missed. Yet once upon a time we were excited to receive something as simple as an orange in a big sock!
So, should we be focusing on simpler times and what really counts at Christmas? Values like sharing and gratitude for what we do have.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough and more.”
Melody Beattie
Studies into the impacts of gratitude on our wellbeing are well documented, but there is a business case for showing gratitude too. Employees need to know their work is appreciated. Showing gratitude to employees is the easiest, fastest and most inexpensive way to boost performance. In its simplest form, an expression of gratitude costs nothing and only requires minimal time and effort. You could also show gratitude to customers by sending a handwritten note within a Christmas card, or an email stating why you are thankful for them and why you are looking forward to continuing in the year ahead.
And of course, at home, whoever you are spending the holiday season with, if you put an orange in their stocking this year, remember it’s not just the gift of a fruit; it’s a reminder of what came before and a symbol of sharing. If the younger people in the household are confused, explain that’s all we used to get, before all the electronics, branded sportswear and hype. Or, if you really want to confuse them, leave a lump of coal!
It’s our turn to follow our own advice – from everyone at the Ideal Marketing Company, we’re grateful for you – whether you’re a client, a contact in our network, a subscriber of our newsletter or just popped by to read this post. What we do is only possible because of you, and we love to do it. So, thank you.
PS. Oranges are also a part of our origin story – find out why here.
