Why We Go Nuts For Christmas Traditions

With Christmas just around the corner, this year in particular may have some of you yearning for the ghosts of Christmases past when the holidays seemed simpler and more traditional. Some of those nostalgic memories may include the annual holiday family road trip where you’d spend Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa in Florida. Or maybe you visited Aunt Eleanor and your cousins out in Missouri. Wherever you traveled, one thing’s true for many of you – it fast became a family tradition to make a Stuckey’s stop to relax, refresh, and refuel.  Besides giving all of you the chance to stretch your legs, it gave you a chance to check out all of the kitschy Christmas gifts and mom and dad could get a little last-minute Christmas shopping done, too. Grandma and grandpa loved getting boxes of Stuckey’s pecan divinity and southern pecan pralines, and Aunt Eleanor wouldn’t really feel like it was Christmas without getting her one of Stuckey’s famous pecan log rolls. And why not? After all, giving nuts for Christmas is another tradition that dates back to the time of jolly old Saint Nicholas himself. 

Actually, giving nuts as gifts dates all the way back to Ancient Rome when they were seen as a good luck charm for fertility. In fact, instead of rice being thrown at the bride and groom, Romans would scatter nuts all over the ground at weddings to wish the newlyweds lots of children. They would also plant them during their winter Saturnalia festival an annual Roman festival in honor of the god Saturn that started December 17 and lasted until December 23. If you eventually got a good crop, that meant the gods were pleased and would grant you more children as well.

Jesus came into the picture  later during one of the first Christmases when nuts were used to explain the Trinity – the Father (the shell), the Son (the skin) and the Holy Ghost (the kernel) or to depict the Savior himself with the shell, skin, and kernel representing  his bones, skin, and soul, respectively.

Nevertheless, Europeans will tell you that the tradition of giving nuts started with Saint Nicholas of Myra   (known to us today as Santa Claus) when he used to bring oranges and nuts to good little boys and girls on the annual day of his feast. However, where he left them depends on the traditions of the Europeans who are telling you the story. In the Netherlands, for example, he would leave them in shoes while other European countries claim he told children to hang their socks by the chimney to dry and he would leave the treats in them. Still others say he would just throw nuts on the floor because he got a kick out of watching the children scramble for them. (In fact, rough-housing boys of Elizabethan England often played the popular “scrambling for nuts” game at Christmas.)

What’s more, it seems the idea of  nuts bringing good luck at Christmastime is a tradition that still carries on today, so why not keep it going this year and stop by your nearest Stuckey’s and grab a couple of our holiday gift boxes or have them sent to your family, friends and loved ones this Christmas?  With all of the choices we’ve got this year, there’s one that sure to please everybody on your list.

Small Sampler Gift Box

Not sure where to start? Then start with our Small Sampler Gift Box which includes:

• 1 – 1.7 oz. Pecan Divinity Bar
• 1 – 1.5 oz. Pecan Praline
• 1 – 1.5 oz. Milk Chocolate Turtle
• 1 – 2 oz. Pecan Log Roll
• 1 – 4 oz. Honey Roasted Pecans
• 1 – 4 oz. T&S Pecans
• 1 – 6 oz. Peanut Brittle
• 1 TIMBER Campfire Mug

 

“Just Put Everything In It” Sampler

Still craving more? For that person who wants it all for Christmas, give it to them with our “Just Put Everything In It” Sampler Gift Box.  This box includes:

• 2 – 1.5 oz. Pecan Pralines
• 2 – 1.5 oz. Milk Chocolate Turtles
• 2 – 1.7 oz. Pecan Divinity Bars
• 2 – 1.75 oz. Original Goo Goo Clusters
• 1 – 10 oz. Pecan Log Roll
• 1 – 4 oz. Vanilla Bourbon Pecans
• 1 – 4 oz. T&S Pecans
• 1 – 10 oz. Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch
• 1 – 16 oz. Milk Chocolate Mini Pretzels
• 1 – 7 oz Salt Water Taffy
• 1 – 7 oz. Caramel Popcorn
• 1 Retro Black Ball Cap
• 1 – Original PLR Coffee Mug

 

“Bundle It Up!”

Know a road trip enthusiast who loves Stuckey’s? Give them this perfectly packed “Bundle it Up” Special Box Offer! It’s perfect for all of those road warriors on your list and includes:

• 1 of 4 retro t-shirts (You choose the size, we choose the style!)
• 1 – Black Stuckey’s Baseball Cap – (Adjustable)
• 1 – Stuckey’s “Timber” Campfire Mug
• 1 – Stuckey’s Bumper Sticker (1 of 3 Titles)
• 1 – Stuckey’s 2 oz. Pecan Log Roll
• All packed in our world famous RETRO candy box!

 

“PECAN-Tastic”

Everybody who loves pecans will think this next holiday gift box is “PECAN-Tastic”! In fact, that’s what we called it because it’s chockfull of 12 assorted customer favorites like:

• 1 – 4 oz. Toasted ‘N Salted Pecans
• 1 – 4 oz. Honey Glazed Pecans
• 1 – 2 oz. Pecan Log Roll
• 1 – 1.7 oz. Pecan Divinity
• 1 – 1.5 oz. Pecan Pralines
• 1 – 1.5 oz. Milk Chocolate Pecan Turtle
• 1 – 10 oz. Jumbo Pecan Log Roll
• 1 – 6 oz. Peco Brittle
• 1 – 16 oz. Milk Chocolate Covered Pecans
• 1 – 16 oz. White Chocolate Covered Pecans
• 1 – 1.75 oz Goo-Goo Supreme
• 1 – Stuckey’s Classic Billboard Coffee Mug

All of this pecantastic goodness is wrapped in clear cellophane and tied with gift bow ready for gift giving.

 

“Southern Hospitality“

Well, we do declare! Our Southern Hospitality gift box will delight any Southern Gentleman or Southern Belle on your Christmas list. They’ll be pleased as pecan pie to find a wonderful assortment of 14 of our customer favorites also packed in clear cellophane and tied with a gift bow, including:

• 1 – 4 oz. Honey Roasted Pecans
• 1 – 7 oz. Vanilla Salt Water Taffy
• 1 – 1.7 oz. Pecan Divinity
• 1 – 1.5 oz. Pecan Pralines
• 1 – 1.5 oz. Milk Chocolate Pecan Turtle
• 1 – 10 oz. Jumbo Pecan Log Roll
• 1 – 6 oz. Peanut Brittle
• 1 – 12 oz. Southern Pecan Toffee
• 1 – Bless Your Heart Button
• 1 – 12 oz. Anastasia Coconut Patties
• 1 – Chocolate Moon Pie
• 1 – 1.75 oz. Goo-Goo Regular
• 1 – 16 oz. Claxton Fruit Cake
• 1 – Stuckey’s Candy Shop Coffee Mug.

 

“Take a Stuckey’s Stop”

Packed in clear cellophane and a gift bow, each “Take A Stuckey’s Stop” holiday gift box offers a carefully packed assortment of 12 items that will take anyone who receives it back to the days of family road trips, coonskin caps, and  stops at one of the many Stuckey’s locations along the way. This box includes:

• 1 – 1.7 oz. Pecan Divinity
• 1 – 1.5 oz. Pecan Pralines
• 1 – 1.5 oz. Milk Chocolate Pecan Turtle
• 1 – 10 oz. Jumbo Pecan Log Roll
• 1 – 1.75 oz. Goo-Goo Regular
• 1 – 16 oz. White Chocolate Covered Pretzels
• 1 – 16 oz. Milk Chocolate Pecan & Peanut Butter Melt-Aways
• 1 – Large Coon-Skin Cap
• 1 – Stuckey’s Bumper Sticker
• 1 – Retro Drinking Bird
• 1 – Original Rubber Alligator
• 1 – Stuckey’s “On The Road Again” Coffee Mug.

 

“Popcorn Sampler”

What’s popping for the movie buff on your list? Why, of course it’s the Stuckey’s “Popcorn Sampler”

a variety of gluten-free, delicious and savory treats that contains no preservatives! Each bag is made in the USA with non-GMO Popcorn Kernels and hand-crafted in small batches. Also great to have around when you’re watching all of those retro Christmas specials you love with the fam. The Popcorn Sampler includes:

• 1 – 7 oz. Cello Bag of Original Caramel Corn
• 1 – 7 oz. Cello Bag Funfetti
• 1 – 7 oz. Cello Bag Birthday Cake
• 1 – 7 oz. Cello Bag Cinnamon Toast
• 1 – 7 oz. Cello Bag Peanut Butter

 

“Nutty Box”

Finally we saved the nuttiest for last with the return of a true Stuckey’s selling tradition – the unique “Nutty Box!” Stuckey’s became famous for creating this one-of-a-kind box back in the 1950’s and 1960’s that offers a combination of some of our most famous (and most delicious) products that everybody is, well, nuts about!  In this case, we’ve combined three of our favorite flavors of pecans with two unique cashew items.  Each “Nutty” box will offer one bag each of these famous products packed in our traditional yellow store box for easy picking and shipping. This gift box includes:

• 1 – 4 oz. Vanilla Bourbon Pecan
• 1 – 4 oz. Toasted ‘n Salted Pecans
• 1 – 4 oz. Honey Glazed Pecan
• 1 – 4 oz. Whole Toasted Cashew
• 1 – 4 oz. Salt & Cracked Pepper Cashew

In the end, no matter what the rest of 2020 brings, you can still keep two of your favorite holiday traditions going this Christmas – making a Stuckey’s stop and passing on the good luck that pecans and other nuts will bring for 2021!

And to make it even extra-special, we’re giving you an extra 10% off any of our gift boxes that you order during our four-day holiday gift box sale Thursday, December 3, 2020 to Sunday, December 6, 2020! Visit us at stuckeys.com to find out more!

While you’re there, be sure to check out our new “Yule Log-sized” 10-inch Stuckey’s Pecan Log Rolls as well as our other pecan candies, popcorn and nuts, nostalgic treats, branded tees, caps and Slippies (featuring the new arrival of an old favorite – our “Eat Here and Get Gas” t-shirt), and other Stuckey’s memorabilia. Anything from Stuckey’s makes great gifts for everyone at the holidays and year round!

Stuckey’s – We’re Making Road Trips (and Holidays) Fun Again!