"O"
IS FOR ORANGES, OPEN HOUSE, O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL
The tradition of an orange at the foot of a stocking comes from the tale of Saint Nicholas, who heard of a nobleman who had fallen into despair after the death of his wife and lost all of his money. He had three daughters who could not marry without a dowry, which caused him greater depression. St Nicholas is said to have left a bag of gold in the socks of each daughter, which was enough for them to marry. This spread the tradition of hanging a stocking in the hope of receiving presents, and an orange is often used to represent the bag of gold. Oranges were also considered an exotic treat to receive and symbolic of wealth, so much so that they were, and still are, often used as a decoration and to perfume homes over Christmas. A popular tradition is to display a bowl of pomanders made from oranges studded in a decorative pattern with cloves, which not only look delightful but also fill the home with a heady aromatic scent.
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