Must Have Fruits for Christmas

It’s just not Christmas without oranges, apples and pears! Whether you’re looking for must-have fruits for Christmas dinner, seeking treats on hand to nibble on during Christmas vacation or holiday gifts of fruit to delight your friends and family, you’re in good company – the tradition of giving fruit gifts for Christmas goes back a long way. One legend tells how St. Nicholas once gave a golden ball to each of three sisters whose father was too poor to provide them a dowry: the good saint tossed the balls down the chimney, and they ended up in the stockings of the three girls which were drying by the fire.

• Why stop at just one type of orange? Hale Groves’ best-selling Orange Extravaganza includes three!

That’s one origin tale for the tradition of placing a golden orange in a child’s Christmas stocking, but the practice really took off during the Great Depression, a time when candies, nuts and fresh fruit were considered to be a real treat.

• Using candies, nuts and fruit for gifts remains a holiday tradition to this day. If you’re attending a Christmas party this year, there can be no more appropriate gift for the host than Hale Groves Holiday Hostess Tote!

Back then, waking up on Christmas morning to find a fresh orange in your stocking was considered a real luxury – particularly for those living in colder climates. Holiday fruit gifts were an exotic treat, special and unique because of their rarity and the natural limitations that made them scarce during Yuletide winters.

• Do your grandparents fondly remember receiving gifts of grapefruit and oranges in their stockings? You can help them recall that excitement with a gift of our fresh-from-Florida Grove Navel Oranges and Ruby Red Grapefruit!

Part of what makes using fruit baskets for holiday gifts an enduring favorite is the universality of fruit: nearly everyone eats it (a rare thing in these days of diverse dietary restrictions!), nearly everyone loves it (by choosing an assortment you can increase the likelihood of including something your recipient will like), and you can choose as large or as personal a gift as you wish. Plus, giving fruit is a gift of convenience – since most people consider fruit a staple, you save your recipient some time spent shopping (not to mention they’ll never find fruit this good in a local chain store!).

• Looking for healthy holiday gift baskets? Nothing beats a gift of fresh fruit! Hale Groves’ Holiday Fruit Rainbow gift box contains samples of our most popular, succulent fruits, including Honey-Sweet Tangerines, Holiday Golds, crisp Orchard Apples, creamy D’Anjou Pears, seedless Navel Oranges, fragrant Petite Red Navels, and sugar-sweet Ruby Red Grapefruit.

Choosing to send fruit baskets for gifts is a great way to treat a group, too. If you’re sending a gift to a family from across the miles, or a looking to make an impression on a business associate by sending a gift to a workplace, holiday fruit baskets are a good way to go.

• For an affordable gift that will please the whole family, choose our Santa-approved Holiday Cheer Gift Bag, which is packed with a combination of healthy, delicious, and fun treats. For a personalized workplace gift, consider our VIP Variety Box, which is sure to make an impression.

Remember, the best holiday gifts from Hale Groves can also include more than just fruit! Christmas breakfast gift baskets and boxes are wonderful because they give your loved ones a complete meal, saving them time, energy and money during the holidays as well as an exotic treat they wouldn’t normally enjoy on a regular weekday.

• Our top-rated Deluxe Breakfast Box is always a winner with giftees! Containing a selection of our perfectly tree-ripened Ruby Red Grapefruit and Grove Navel Oranges along with our best-selling Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake, Hale Orange Marmalade, Orange Blossom Honey and smoked Canadian Bacon, it’s a breakfast-in-a-box they’ll delight in, thinking of you as they enjoy every bite!

Gadgets and gizmos may get more attention in this day and age, but a gift of sweet, fresh fruit is still as popular as ever – and always will be. To be sure of making a hit this holiday season, finish your gift list with gifts from Hale Groves this year!

• SHOP all Holiday Gifts from Hale Groves>>