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Black History Year

The History Behind The Black Holiday Tradition Of Gifting Fruit Bags

Black History Year

PushBlack

History

4.62.2K Ratings

🗓️ 25 December 2024

⏱️ 3 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Ever gotten a stocking or bag with an apple, an orange, some walnuts, a candy cane, or some variation of this during Christmas? There’s more to this Black holiday tradition than just a nice holiday snack – here’s how it all started.

2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com — most people donate $10 a month, but every dollar makes a difference. If this episode moved you, share it with your people! Thanks for supporting the work.

The production team for this podcast includes Cydney Smith, Len Webb, and Lilly Workneh. Our editors are Lance John and Avery Phillips from Gifted Sounds Network. Julian Walker serves as executive producer.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Why are businesses like HelloVet choosing Apple products and services?

0:04.8

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0:07.2

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0:12.5

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0:18.0

Find out how Mac can help you run and grow your business at apple.com forward slash hello vet.

0:30.6

Why do black people give out fruit bags at Christmas?

0:35.2

The origin of the Christmas fruit bag tradition.

0:40.3

This is 2-minute black history, what you didn't learn in school.

0:46.3

Ever gotten a stocking or a bag with an apple, an orange, some walnuts, a candy cane, or some variation of this at Christmas.

0:56.5

There's more to this black holiday tradition than just a nice holiday snack.

1:02.1

And here's how it all got started.

1:08.3

For as long as anyone can remember, Christmas treat bags with fruit have been a staple in countless black households.

1:16.6

But how do they come about?

1:18.6

These bags first made an appearance during the Great Depression, when black families were suffering from extreme poverty, but there's more to the story.

1:30.3

The second part is the rise of the black church.

1:34.3

Time after time, black congregations came together to support and help one another whenever we

1:39.3

experience white terrorism and discrimination. During Christmas,

1:43.3

freak bags were given to all families after church services to supplement

1:48.0

meager diets. The third part, the bags actually are part of the St. Nicholas

1:54.7

fable. According to the story, St. Nicholas was a wealthy man who served others.

2:01.6

When he found that a man was too poor to give his daughters an appropriate marriage dowry,

2:06.6

he dropped gold coins through the window.

...

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