Why tangerines were eaten in the USSR only on New Year's Day

One of the harbingers of the start of the New Year holidays is the appearance of a large number of tangerines on supermarket shelves, sold at an affordable price. This fruit came to us from distant China, where it was grown several millennia ago. But it appeared in Europe only at the beginning of the nineteenth century, after other citrus fruits had been introduced there.

For people who lived during the Soviet era, tangerines are also often associated with the New Year. The fact is that back then they were eaten only on this holiday. FoodOboz figured out why this was the case.

After World War I, the only importer of tangerines to the USSR was Georgia. However, the capacity of this country was not enough to cover the demand for tangerines throughout the Union. Therefore, in the early 30s of the last century, tangerines could be purchased only in small quantities and not in all stores. Each fruit was wrapped in a separate piece of golden-colored paper.

The tangerine era came to the USSR in the early 1960s, when the country started importing citrus fruits from Morocco. After that, tangerines became much more plentiful in the Union, although their quantity was still not enough to meet the needs of the population. The fruit only appeared on store shelves in late December. It was then that the rush among those wishing to buy it began. Those who were lucky enough to buy tangerines would treat their families to them for the New Year holidays. That is why tangerines were considered the main symbol of the New Year in the Soviet Union.