Oranges are most likely to come to mind first when we think of Christmas fruit \u2013 the winter citrus is a traditional addition to hanging stockings. But gourmet apples make a regular appearance in Christmas gift baskets, and no wonder \u2013 in some parts of the world, apples have long been an integral part of holiday festivities. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n
Decorating evergreens pre-dates Christmas, when people found whatever they could to bring color to festivals taking place during the dreary winter months. Easy ways to do this included decorating evergreen trees, wreaths and hangings with candles, fruits and nuts. The round, colorful fall\/early winter apples contrasted nicely with the deep green of the evergreen boughs, and it was this \u201clook\u201d that may have inspired our round, modern tree ornaments.<\/p>\n
Even today, receiving an apple fruit box just before Christmas can serve as an opportunity to add to your festive d\u00e9cor. Use them to add a shiny flash of scarlet to your holiday greens, or place them in a bowl with sprigs of holly to serve as a centerpiece and easy, healthy snack besides!<\/p>\n
Oranges may be the quintessential stocking stuffer, but that wasn\u2019t always \u2013 or only \u2013 the case. A crisp Fuji apple was just as likely to make an appearance instead of, or along with, a juicy orange. During times when fresh fruit was harder to come by in some areas during the winter months, a sweet apple was as welcome a treat as candy in a Christmas stocking!<\/p>\n
In many Eastern European cultures, you men would send apples as a gift to the object of their affections at the Yuletide. (Perhaps this where the expression, \u201cApple of his eye\u201d came from!) Receiving an apples gift from one\u2019s intended was a serious declaration of love in times past!<\/p>\n
While Christmas is not widely celebrated in China, those who do have recently developed the tradition of exchanging \u201cpeace apples\u201d on Christmas Even. Peace apples are regular, individual apples packaged in a special box or wrapped in colored paper; some have messages like \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d stenciled on them. This may stem from the similarity of the Mandarin word for apple (pingguo<\/em>) to the word for Christmas Eve (pinganye<\/em>). Young men in particular may wrap an apple gift box intended for a girlfriend in paper decorated with hearts as well as Christmas symbols. Because of apples\u2019 low price, it makes for an affordable gift, too.<\/p>\n Apples play an important part in a number of Jewish holiday celebrations. Applesauce has long been a delicious accompaniment to the traditional potato pancakes, or \u201clatkes\u201d served during Hanukkah. During the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah, celebrants dip slices of apple into honey to signify a sweet, fruitful new year.<\/p>\n Sending a beautifully presented apple gift basket<\/a> containing other fruits and treats is a convenient yet thoughtful gift option that is sure to be appreciated! The assortment of items inside a gift basket is sure to have something for everyone, and it can be shared with the whole family to make your thoughtfulness go even further. They\u2019re a great choice for everyone on your list!<\/p>\n Other Articles You May Find Interesting:<\/strong><\/p>\n How to Use Up All Your Apples<\/a> Oranges are most likely to come to mind first when we think of Christmas fruit \u2013 the winter citrus is a traditional addition to hanging stockings. But gourmet apples make a regular appearance in Christmas gift baskets, and no wonder \u2013 in some parts of the world, apples have long been an integral part of holiday festivities. Here\u2019s how: Apples as Decorations Decorating evergreens pre-dates Christmas, when people found whatever they could to bring color to festivals taking place during the dreary winter months. Easy ways to do this included decorating evergreen trees, wreaths and hangings with candles, fruits and nuts. The round, colorful fall\/early winter apples contrasted nicely with the deep green of the evergreen boughs, and it was this \u201clook\u201d that may have inspired our round, modern tree ornaments. Even today, receiving an apple fruit box just before Christmas can serve as an opportunity to add to your festive d\u00e9cor. Use them to add a shiny flash of scarlet to your holiday greens, or place them in a bowl with sprigs of holly to serve as a centerpiece and easy, healthy snack besides! Apples as Stocking Stuffers Oranges may be the quintessential stocking stuffer, but that wasn\u2019t always \u2013 or only \u2013 the case. A crisp Fuji apple was just as likely to make an appearance instead of, or along with, a juicy orange. During times when fresh fruit was harder to come by in some areas during the winter months, a sweet apple was as welcome a treat as candy in a Christmas stocking! Apples as a Romantic Gesture In many Eastern European cultures, you men would send apples as a gift to the object of their affections at the Yuletide. (Perhaps this where the expression, \u201cApple of his eye\u201d came from!) Receiving an apples gift from one\u2019s intended was a serious declaration of love in times past! Apples as Christmas Gifts in China While Christmas is not widely celebrated in China, those who do have recently developed the tradition of exchanging \u201cpeace apples\u201d on Christmas Even. Peace apples are regular, individual apples packaged in a special box or wrapped in colored paper; some have messages like \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d stenciled on them. This may stem from the similarity of the Mandarin word for apple (pingguo) to the word for Christmas Eve (pinganye). Young men in particular may wrap an apple gift box intended for a girlfriend in paper decorated with hearts as well as Christmas symbols. Because of apples\u2019 low price, it makes for an affordable gift, too. Apples for Hanukkah Apples play an important part in a number of Jewish holiday celebrations. Applesauce has long been a delicious accompaniment to the traditional potato pancakes, or \u201clatkes\u201d served during Hanukkah. During the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah, celebrants dip slices of apple into honey to signify a sweet, fruitful new year. Apples as Gifts Sending a beautifully presented apple gift basket containing other fruits and treats is a convenient yet thoughtful gift option that is sure to be appreciated! The assortment of items inside a gift basket is sure to have something for everyone, and it can be shared with the whole family to make your thoughtfulness go even further. They\u2019re a great choice for everyone on your list! Other Articles You May Find Interesting: How to Use Up All Your Apples Health Benefits of Apples Are Pears or Apples Healthier? Can Apples Help You Lose Weight?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1949,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[96,69],"class_list":["post-5024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fruit-information","tag-apples","tag-christmas"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5024"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5121,"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5024\/revisions\/5121"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog2.pittmandavis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Apples for Hanukkah<\/h3>\n
Apples as Gifts<\/h3>\n
\nHealth Benefits of Apples<\/a>
\nAre Pears or Apples Healthier?<\/a>
\nCan Apples Help You Lose Weight?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"