Morrisons is giving away 200,000 free oranges to revive a Christmas tradition

Morrisons supermarket is giving away 200,000 free oranges today in an attempt to revive a Christmas tradition.

The supermarket giant is handing out the fruit in stores across the UK on Saturday to try to revive the almost forgotten festive tradition of putting an orange into a Christmas stocking.

A YouGov poll carried out on behalf of the supermarket giant found that more than three quarters of Brits with children in the household no longer tend to observe the tradition of an orange in a Christmas stocking.

The oranges, wrapped in Christmas tissue paper, will be given to parents along with a story-card telling the history of the tradition so that parents can read it to their children.

The tradition can be traced back to a story about Father Christmas who dropped three gold coins down a poor family’s chimney for them to find in the morning. They landed in the children’s’ socks which were hanging by the fire to dry.

Leaving a golden orange in a stocking is to remind us of the tale. In the 1940s, tropical fruits including oranges became extremely hard to come by and were prized gifts at Christmas. Oranges and citrus fruits are at their best over the winter months.

Nick Groom, folklore expert, author, and Professor at the University of Exeter has worked with Morrisons to re-tell the original story through story cards and a short film featuring puppets.

He said: “Behind every seasonal tradition there is almost always a rich story from long, long ago. These are usually linked to the natural world, particularly when certain foods are in season. But we are in danger of losing this treasure trove of stories. Oranges in Christmas stockings provide a moment to remember and reflect on these stories: what they tell us about life in the past, the present, and the future, and how to keep these messages alive for the next generation.”

Anna Lane, head of customer experience at Morrisons, said: “Like kissing under the mistletoe and putting out carrots for Rudolph, oranges in stockings is part of the magic of Christmas. We want to help keep these traditions alive and help parents pass on the stories behind them to their children. And if Father Christmas wants to swing by and pick up an extra sack of oranges we’ll be happy to help.”