Missing My Christmas Oranges This Year

by Anita Mae Draper

Bowl of tissue-wrapped Christmas oranges

I’m missing my Christmas oranges this year. That’s not to say that we don’t have any oranges, they’re just not the same ones I relate to Christmas. Oranges and other subtropical citrus fruit aren’t grown in Canada due to our cold weather and must be shipped in and/or railed in depending on where it is grown. Historically in Canada, there was a lack of oranges in the autumn, and then a burst of excitement as oranges miraculously appeared in time for Christmas.

Easy to peel skin of a mandarin orange

The green tissue paper helped develop my anticipation for the fragrant gift inside. I loved the excitement of breaking open that first Christmas orange—the only orange I could easily peel due to the skin slipping off the flesh without effort—yet I knew that first juicy bite would have a sour snap to energize my sleepy taste buds. It was only after eating several segments that I appreciated the tangy sweetness which left me craving for more. 

Even during the tough times of my childhood, the one thing I could be sure of was finding a green tissue-wrapped orange in the toe of my stocking on Christmas morning. A bowl of oranges always held a spot on our holiday table along with other treats, such as chips and nuts. 

Christmas morning 1967, Port Arthur, Ontario

The fact that the oranges came all the way across the Pacific from exotic Japan added to their seasonal appeal. But this year, I'm really craving them because I can't find any of the Japanese ones, and not many of the Chinese variety, either. Yes, we have the larger types of navel oranges and others, but it seems we've seen less of the original Japanese oranges, and even the Chinese mandarins each December. Now, the small tangerines and clementines compete for space throughout the year, yet some of them have so many seeds, and skin so thick I almost wreck my thumbnail breaking through the surface to peel it. 

So I started wondering what happened. I was hoping my research would give a definite reason, such as a Pacific typhoon, the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami combination, or even a trading dispute. Instead, my search led me on a different quest—the history of what Canadians call the Christmas orange.

I knew that the Christmas orange was first brought to Canada about 1890 by Japanese workers who received them in parcels in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I was quite surprised then, to find that the first mention of them was not in a Canadian newspaper, but in a 1901 and 1916 American one.

In Canada, the oranges were shipped across the Pacific in 9 pound wooden crates and unloaded in Vancouver.

Christmas mandarin oranges being unloaded from the ship, S.S. American Mail. VPL Accession Number: 81110. Courtesy of Vancouver Public Library

I found a 1926 article in the Montreal Gazette reporting that 1,452,000 oranges filling eleven Canadian National rail cars were on their way from Vancouver, British Columbia on Canada's west coast. So approx 40 yrs after the first oranges came across, a special train was used to carry the shipment across the nation.

The Montreal Gazette - Dec 4, 1926

The Japanese orange trade was so successful that a 1931 Drummondville, Quebec newspaper, reporting on an article from the Canadian prairie province of Manitoba, said that over 2 million oranges crossed the citrus-starved Canadian landscape by Dec 7th of that year.

The Drummondville Spokesman - Dec 7, 1931

And then Canada joined WW 2 and Japan was our enemy. The trans-Pacific orange shipments stopped, and Canadian parents told their children that everything was fine. But Christmas wasn't the same. Even with the availability of tangerines shipped in from Florida, Canadians felt the loss of their beloved Christmas orange. 

When the war ended, countries worked to restore their economies and Canada renewed trade with Japan. But Canadians felt the loss of their fathers, uncles, brothers, and all those servicemen and women who'd given their lives for freedom... and resentment against the people of Japan was hard to put down. 

Japanese oranges were scarce during the 1947 Christmas season, but by 1948 they were back with a new name. In an attempt to take the onus off their origin, they were re-introduced simply as mandarin oranges.  

CP Rail Mandarin Orange Express train

The mandarin orange express trains had special markings, yet only one car carried this paint scheme in a shipment of almost 60 cars. We didn't care what they were called or where they were from, our special Christmas orange was back—more than 3 shiploads of them filling over 32 freight cars that year. And that was just the beginning of the resurgence of its popularity.

Which brings me back to my original question... what happened to our favourite Christmas orange since it's rare to see a crate of the boxes sitting in a grocery store these days.

Are oranges a traditional part of your Christmas? Did you receive one in your stocking?

This post was originally published on the Inkwell Inspirations blog on Dec 16, 2015.

As this is my final post for the wonderful Heroes, Heroines, and History Blog, I want to share my sincere appreciation for all the readers and contributors who made this such a great place to be a part of during the past seven years. 

Merry Christmas and may God bless you richly this holiday season and in the coming year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

The Kitchen Garden by Donna Schlachter (with giveaway)

 

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

A kitchen garden, so named because of its proximity to the rear door and kitchen of most pioneer houses, provided an important source of food and medicinal plants for the household. With the Westward Expansion in full swing following the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, tens of thousands of settlers moved west of the Mississippi in search of a piece of land to call their own. As a result, volumes of gardening advice were written and distributed. While some followed the 17th century European garden writers, in many parts of the country, Native American practices were adopted, and in some cases, both styles were implemented in the same plot of ground.

Important considerations included the length of the growing season in the area; the sometimes-drastic differences between high and low temperatures; the type of soil; the local wildlife which might eat the tender plants; the family’s food choices; and the amount of work required to raise a particular crop.

While American pioneers rarely had access to large animal manure, as their European cousins did, they made do with what they had. Dung from a family cow or horse provided fertilizer, as did the roaming herds of bison. Following the example of the Native Americans, pioneers learned that eels and dead fish could also be buried in the soil.

 

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Plant placement depended on fragrance; harvesting styles; whether a perennial or annual; and even fragrance. For example, sweet-smelling herbs and flowers might be planted closer to the kitchen window, while strong-smelling plants, such as cabbage and onions, were relegated to a distant corner. Annual plants, grown from seed, were planted together, while perennials, such as rhubarb asparagus, horse radish, strawberries, and raspberries, were grouped in another bed so the roots weren’t disturbed during harvest, and so that they were contained, as these plants tend to spread. Crops that were harvested continuously, such as radishes and lettuce, were grown in the same bed. Those plants that tended to spread, such as melons, squash, and pumpkins, were set apart, hedged in by cabbages. Crops which could be replanted throughout the growing season, including beets, often were sown a week apart in a separate row, so that a continuous crop provided food throughout the season.

Herbs commonly grown included lavender, marjoram, savory, thyme, and even roses, which provided a bountiful crop of vitamin C-rich rosehips that could stave off scurvy in the winter months. These herbs were dried and stored away, and used in salves, teas, cleaning products, and insect deterrent.

Planting in raised beds of soil allowed for adequate drainage where rainfall was plentiful, while in more arid areas, the plants were sowed at ground level, and often shallow canals were dug around the beds so rainwater collected in barrels could be distributed when the rain was sparse.

Protecting the garden from local wildlife, including rabbits, skunks, raccoons, and deer, was important. Sometimes dense thorny hedges were planted to keep these animals out. At other times, fences were erected, often with sharp points to prevent animals from climbing over. The upright boards, called pickets or pales, were placed close together to keep smaller animals from squeezing through.

 

To deter insects, a variety of remedies was used. Placing or planting sage as a border around plants sometimes worked. Cabbage leaves laid between plants attracted slugs and snails, and the leaves were burned each morning. Onion skins controlled squash bugs, and soapy water thrown directly on the plants killed some insects, particularly aphids on roses and cabbages.

Preserving the produce of a kitchen garden was often limited to drying or pickling. In particular, peppers and onions were hung in braids or wreaths, while fruit was dried on the roof.

Until the 1930s, seeds were ordered from a catalog at the general store or mercantile. Many hours were spent poring over the pictures, determining if the seed was right for the area and soil type. Pioneers were reluctant to try a new variety because if the seed failed to thrive, their family could go hungry. Favorites with built-in insect resistance and large yields were purchased year after year. Drought resistant plants were important in arid areas, while disease resistant were more important in areas with ample rainfall. Sometimes a household had a large enough garden that they could supply produce to other families, who paid for the herbs and vegetables with eggs, milk, cheese, or perhaps produce the originating family didn’t grow for themselves.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Because early kitchen gardens focused primarily on providing daily food plus durable products to store over the winter and spring, the range of produce was usually wide. However, the staples of potatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage, beets, and parsnips, which could be stored in the root cellar, was critical, as this would sustain the family when fresh fruit and vegetables wasn’t available. The more delicate crops, such as lettuce, asparagus, berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, and the like, were enjoyed while they were fresh. Pickling, using a brine solution, was common for tomatoes and cucumbers. Peas, beans, beets, and corn were often canned.

 

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

For a household blessed with a hard-working woman, sometimes assisted by the children when it came time to weed or turn the soil, worries over not enough food were rare. Today, household gardens are coming back into popularity because of concerns over hybridization of crops, use of pesticides and insecticides, and the fact that many crops are harvested before ripening. There is nothing like the taste of a warm, off-the-vine tomato or sweet berries, picked moments before.

Contest: Leave a comment for the opportunity to be entered into a random drawing for “Kate”, the first book in Oregon Trail mystery series, print (US only) or ebook, winner’s choice.

About Kate:

Kate Benton, daughter of a saloon floozy, runs away, straight into the arms of Tom McBride, fleeing from his outlaw brother’s past. Can these two, damaged by life experiences, tear down the walls that separate them with God’s help? Or are they destined to remain alone forever?

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kate-Prairie-Roses-Collection-Book-ebook/dp/B084VTBGF2

Publisher: http://www.plsbookworks.com/2.html



 

 

Resources:

https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/pioneer-kitchen-gardens-how-the-pioneers-planned-and-planted/

http://www.lpmastergardener.com/pioneer-heritage-garden.html

http://www.lpmastergardener.com/pioneer-heritage-garden.html



About Donna:

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick. As a hybrid author, she writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts, and has been published more than 30 times in novellas, full-length novels, devotional books, and books on the writing craft. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Writers on the Rock, Sisters In Crime, Pikes Peak Writers, and Christian Authors Network; facilitates a critique group; and teaches writing classes online and in person. Donna also ghostwrites, edits, and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, and travels extensively for both. Donna is represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management.

 

 

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