You may remember receiving the holiday fruit gift of a delicious navel orange in your Christmas stocking when you were a child, but what you may not know is that this practice has its origins in history, culture, and folklore. As the story goes, the real St. Nicholas once helped a poor man acquire a dowry for his daughter, who would not be able to achieve a good match without one.   On three different nights, bags of gold mysteriously appeared in the man’s home—enough to provide a sizeable dowry.  These bags of gold were said to have landed inside of the stockings and shoes that were left by the fire.  This led to the practice of children leaving their stockings and shoes out for St. Nicholas to place small holiday fruit gifts, such as navel oranges, into.  The oranges symbolize the bags of gold that St. Nicholas provided to the needy family. While there is still debate as to whether Saint. Nicholas was an actual living person or a composite character of many well-meaning individuals, there is historic record of a Bishop Nicholas who served in the Greek council of Nicea. This St. Nicholas, known as Nicholas of Myra,  performed many heroic actions, such as defending a condemned man falsely accused of murder, and frequently presenting gifts of money, small toys, clothing, shoes, and food to needy families; always anonymously and usually at nighttime, when the families were sleeping.  Nicholas is still considered a St. under the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, although his feast day is not considered obligatory, and the tradition of St. Nicholas, as well as the tradition of gifts of holiday fruit, like navel oranges, continue around the world to this day. At Hale Groves, we understand that gifts of fruit are a part of the Christmas holidays for many families, which is why we offer fresh, delicious holiday fruit gift baskets, as well as festive fruit and chocolate and our sure-to-please Christmas day basket: a gourmet assortment of tangelos, navel oranges, cakes, nuts, candies, chocolate, and other delectable goodies. All of our products are backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee, and are delivered directly to your door, ready to be enjoyed and included in your family’s fond holiday memories for years to come. Why not order a Hale Groves holiday gift basket for yourself or someone you love today, and experience this delicious holiday fruit tradition for yourself?