why an orange?

I have always wondered why the orange is a symbol of Christmas.  Why do we use it to decorate?  Why do the grocery stores seem to overflow with them at this time of year?
I did a little research and it turns out that many years ago, oranges were given as special gifts to children.  They were a rare commodity and sometimes the orange a child received Christmas morning was the only orange they ate all year!!!!

Is there anything we can only afford once a year?
Something to think about.

meaningful gifts

Matthew 2:11  After coming into the place where the Christ child lay, they fell on their knees and worshipped Him with their gifts. 

December 1st's advent was the three wise men.  I chose 3 different coloured recess pieces to "represent" these men and their precious gifts- gold, frankincense and myrrh.  The wise men travelled far and brought their best treasured gifts.  Gold:  a precious metal and associated with the power of kings.  Frankincense: a resin from a rare and sacred tree and used as incense.  Myrrh: a resin from a shrub and used in making perfume.

 My kids guessed pretty quickly. 

And we enjoyed an interesting discussion about these men, their gifts and the significance of them.

My kids were so excited that advent had finally begun!