Christmas During the Great Depression

My parents both grew up during the Depression. They both had very tough childhoods. As adults they so distrusted the stock market they were both in their 50's before they felt comfortable investing in the stocks. I don't know what they got for presents at Christmas, if anything, but I suspect they may have received a present of an orange and an apple. I think this because as kids, my sister and I always had a large apple and a large orange in our Christmas stocking.
 
This happened long before the great depression, but my grandfather used to tell the story about the ladies from the "big town" who came by train every Christmas season up the mountain to his town to give the kids presents. It was usually socks, hankies, etc. and maybe some candy and nuts.

One year, everyone got an orange. Nobody knew what to do with it. The kids brought them home and put them on the table to look at them. Do you cook them? Eat them raw? What do they taste like?

Oranges were always important to my grandpa. He made sure everyone had one in their stocking.
 
Growing up, we always had an orange in the toe of our stocking.

It was an old tradition and it helped to fill the stocking. 😉🤭😂

The oranges usually became a part of our breakfast.

I’m not sure that it had as much to do with The Great Depression as it did with recreating and passing on the traditions that our parents and grandparents remembered and treasured at Christmas time.

Someday it may be a small bag of Doritos!
😉🤭😂
 
That was in 1921, which is 104 years ago. Do we have anyone posting here that old?

My grandma would put out a bowl of mixed nuts in their shells with a nutcracker and a pick that reminded me of the pick the dentist uses.
We had stockings over the fireplace stuffed with a tangerine, small candies and a little wrapped gift. I had a mini stapler one year and used it when I was in high school and took it along to college.
 


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