With St. Nicholas Eve we see the recurring winter motif of the orange fruit, as seen in the Japanese Yuzu. We also see the theme of the gold coins, which appear in shoes--not unlike gifts in a stocking. Together we see the solar motif in the coin and gold fruit, which might be compared with the golden apples of Hercules, Arthur, the Norse and Narts that also relate to the sun. The gift of the golden ball, the gift of the sun, is the gift of light's return.