Have a Very Merry Citrus Christmas!

                For many, nothing says, “Merry Christmas” more than finding their favorite fruit in their stocking on Christmas morning. These citrus Christmas presents were thanks to the Florida gift fruit industry, which made sure Florida citrus was available everywhere for the holidays.

                Gift fruit packages were very popular Christmas presents, including jellies, nuts, candies, and most importantly, citrus fruits.¹ Thanks to shippers like the Florida Gift Fruit Shippers Association (FGFSA), these packages were sent to homes all across the United States.² The gift fruit business did so well that it continued to grow over the years. In 1961, more than one million gift fruit packages were shipped.³ By 1993, gift fruit shippers were filling and shipping over 3 million orders.⁴ As the tradition grew more popular, the Florida gift fruit industry grew as well, shipping as far as Canada and Europe.⁵

Courtesy Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Collection

 and Florida Citrus Archives, Florida Southern College

However, it was particularly important to be able to ship up north since, due to the cold of winter, December was not an abundant time for fruit outside of the south. Even shippers worried when they transported the gift packages. Former FGFSA executive vice president, Joseph E. Ball, expressed his worries with transporting gift packages in Christmas of 1991 when he said, “Trains had insulated cars…but they weren’t heated, so fruit could still freeze.”⁶

                Nevertheless, through the use of better technology, calculations for shipment in the shortest time as possible, and simply a lot of hard work, the Florida gift fruit industry continued to thrive and citrus lovers were able to get their citrus Christmas gifts regardless of where they lived.

                Perhaps I’ll ask Santa for some citrus for Christmas myself!

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Sources:

¹ “10 Per Cent Gain in Christmas gift Fruit Business is Foreseen,” Citrus & Vegetable Magazine, December 1961, 28.

² Karen McEver, “Gift Fruit Shippers Fill Over 3 Million Orders,” Citrus Industry, December 1993, 36-7.

³ “10 Per Cent.”

⁴ McEver, “Gift Fruit Shippers Fill.”

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Jim Fisher, “Gift Fruit Shippers Assn. Expands Terminal,” Citrus Industry, December 1991, 18-19.