Holidays on Citrus Crate Labels: Are They Even Correct?

   By Kendra Belton, FCHoF Student Fellow

Blog Installment Five— East Coast Citrus, West Coast Citrus: Citrus Crate Labels in Florida and California, A Study in Comparisons

     Think about the eye-catching commercials on television during the winter holidays. Most of them are themed around Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day, from car commercials to restaurant ads. In the summer, many commercials relate to the Fourth of July. Similarly, California and Florida used holidays on their citrus crate labels to sell their products. It would certainly make sense to purchase holiday-related citrus crates during that holiday season. While Christmas was the most common theme, some labels featured images related to Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving.

            Neither California nor Florida had many Valentine’s Day labels. California’s “Valentine Brand” is clearly a Valentine’s Day label. It was part of the Blue Goose Brand, but making copies of it today is too expensive. Still, “Valentine Brand” is the only California Valentine’s Day label found in a large survey. As for Florida, none of the labels in the study related to the romantic holiday. However, there was a citrus label that had the concept in its name: “Romance Brand.” The label shows two Cupids with their bows and arrows, flitting around the brand’s title. Because Cupid is the god of love and desire, most Americans see Cupid as an important Valentine’s Day symbol. So, the “Romance Brand” citrus crate label from Florida serves as an example of its small connection to the holiday.

            When it comes to the Fourth of July, “Skyrocket Brand” (California) or “Sparky” (Florida) might refer to American Independence Day. Both citrus crate labels show fireworks, which many Americans use to celebrate the holiday. In fact, Americans have used fireworks to celebrate the holiday since they declared independence in 1776 (Zeidan 2020). So, it is reasonable to assume that these fireworks-themed labels might relate to the Fourth of July. However, no labels explicitly mentioned the holiday.

            Thanksgiving is another national holiday when Americans pause to reflect on thanks and patriotism. California’s Thanksgiving Brand citrus crate label shows art explicitly related to Thanksgiving, with its black Pilgrim’s hat and a banner with the name of the holiday across the top of the label. Though Pilgrim men did not actually wear buckles on their hats, the image remains connected with the holiday (Mark 2020). So, it is a straightforward label; there is not much more to look into. Still, it was almost the only California label relating to Thanksgiving. Florida, too, had very few labels about the holiday, if any. Florida also has a “Pilgrim Brand” label, but that is also straightforward, despite its inaccuracies. That is why Florida’s “Good Will” label is more complicated.

            At first, a European and a Native American sharing gifts might suggest a depiction of the First Thanksgiving. However, the European is more likely a Spanish explorer, not a Pilgrim. This is clear because of the clothes he is wearing. Additionally, there are palm trees in the background, which do not grow in Massachusetts, the location of the first Thanksgiving. The image is further ironic because the Native American is handing the Spaniard oranges as a “Good Will” offering. However, Native Americans would not have had oranges, as Spaniards were the ones who brought oranges to the Americas (“A Brief History”). It would make more sense if the Spaniard offered oranges to the Native American instead.

While neither label is technically an accurate depiction of Thanksgiving, the California label explicitly relates to the Thanksgiving holiday. The Florida “Good Will” label, however, might be mistaken for a Thanksgiving label. Although there were few labels for earlier holidays, both states had many Christmas labels.

            California and Florida both have a wide variety of Christmas-themed citrus crate labels. For example, California has a brand called “Yule Tide Brand.” The label shows a smiling Santa Claus with a sack slung over his left shoulder. One of Florida’s labels shows the Three Wise Men on their way to Bethlehem. They are carrying oranges instead of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and the brand name is “Merry Xmas Brand.” Both labels are beautiful and convincing holiday advertisements. However, there are some important terms to be aware of.

            The first term to explore is “Yule Tide.” That is the brand; it is more commonly called “yuletide.” People often compare Yuletide with “Christmastide” and “Christmas Day.” Yuletide can refer to Christmas as a season, but not always. It has Norse roots, describing a pagan celebration of the winter solstice (“What’s the Difference” 2023). So, while Christmas Day falls during the season of Yuletide, the two terms are not synonymous. Because there is a Santa Claus on the “Yule Tide Brand” label, though, the label is probably referring to the Christmas season, or Christmastide, rather than the pagan holiday season.

The Christian Church notes that the Christmas season is not the period before Christmas. A season is, rather, the “period that includes and follows an anniversary, festival, etc.” (qtd in “What’s the Difference” 2023). Based on that definition, the Christmas season would start on Christmas Day, followed by the Twelve Days of Christmas. Santa Claus would show up on the first day before disappearing. The day after the Twelve Days of Christmas ends is Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men enter the story. 

It is not accurate for the Florida label to declare “Merry Xmas” when the label shows the Three Wise Men. Biblical interpretations generally agree that the Wise Men visited after Jesus’ birth, not during it. That is why many Christians celebrate Epiphany. Epiphany is a holiday that “marks the end of the Christmas season and the manifestation [or appearance] of Jesus Christ to the world” through the visit of the gentile Wise Men (Klein 2024). So, the description on the Florida label would make more sense if it were “Happy Epiphany” or “Happy Three Kings Day.”

Although many labels are unclear or historically inaccurate, they still connect to important American holidays. The labels demonstrate the importance of holidays in American culture, and the citrus industry used that to sell oranges.

Bibliography: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YnuEs3oAUlnwe6uMgSDLNpKpRFnYq4YQ/view?usp=sharing

Images Cited: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19IXXoGwo7wfoX5_pUd4beO1750tpg4fl/view?usp=sharing