Last year it was the Year of the Rat. This year, according to the Chinese Zodiac, it is the Year of the Ox. Over much of East Asia, it is time for ushering in the Chinese New Year. As in the Western festive season, it is a time for celebration. Traditional gifts, especially to children, are red envelopes and, inside, cards concealing money.
Miniature orange trees growing in pots are a favourite gift, symbolizing of abundant happiness. Strangely, these Calamondin Oranges, Citrus mitis, originate from the Philippines. Stranger still they are, like all citrus fruit, technically berries.
Usually sold 30- to 60-centimetres tall, perhaps bearing a few of the small, white fragrant flowers that give way to 3-cm roundish deep orange-yellow flavourful fruit. These are mostly borne November through January, although if looked after, the little trees are everbearing. Don’t try and eat the fruit the first season as it may have been sprayed with a pesticide. The leaves and leafstalks, or petioles, also smell like the fruit.
If you cannot find one of these small trees for sale, or they are too expensive for you, give gifts of bright orange coloured fruit from sub-tropical trees. Oranges, tangerines, clementines and kumquats all are believed to be symbols of abundant happiness. Tangerines with fresh foliage attached find particular favour. Offered to visiting friends and family members, tangerines are said to assure everybody will remain happy during the coming year. Berry nice, you might say.
If you come from a big family and have lots of friends what do you do with all the tangerine peel? Some people save all the citrus from overwinter eating in the freezer. In spring, it is spread outside around azaleas, rhododendrons and other plants technically known as ‘ericas.’ The tangerine peel, as well as those from oranges, grapefruit and other citrus helps keep soil to the acidic or low pH levels they need to take up nutrients.
Indoors, citrus trees such as the Calamondin Orange need plenty of bright light. Beware though not to roast them with too much direct sun. Use room temperature water, just like all your indoor plants, and keep the soil just moist but never, ever soggy. Spray lightly with water every day to remove dust and discourage pests, especially minute spider mites that form fine webs. Some people water with cold tea every month to keep the soil acidic or low pH, which citrus prefer.
Not everyone might like a gift of mandarin oranges. Michele Greco grew them on his southern Italian estate where he entertained distinguished churchmen, aristocrats, politicians and businessmen and also, but not at the same time, his Mafia associates. Many of these were murdered there following a barbecue. Greco died aged 83 in Rome’s maximum security Rebibbia prison having spent the last 22 years of his life there with few of his mandarin oranges for solace.
If all this is just too much for you, and are a young girl then wait until 20th January, St. Agnes Eve. Go to bed supperless, being careful not to look sidewise or over the shoulder but only straight ahead. You will then dream of the man you will marry – or so folklore would have us believe.
