Stocking is an empty sock bag that children hang on Christmas Eve so that Santa Claus can fill it with small toys, candy, or other small gifts when. These small items are often referred to as stocking stuffers or stocking fillers. In some stories, the contents of the stocking are the only toys the child receives at from Santa Claus.
Other presents are wrapped up in wrapping paper and placed under the Christmas tree. Tradition in Western culture dictates that a child who behaves badly during the year will receive only a piece of coal.
While there are no written records of the origin of the Christmas stocking, there are popular legends that attempt to tell the history of this tradition. Legend has several variations, but the following is a good example, there lived a poor man and his three beautiful daughters. He had no money to get his daughters married, and he was worried what would happen to them after his death.
Saint Nicholas was passing through the village when he over heard the discussion of some villagers who were talking about the situation of the three girls. St. Nicholas wanted to help them. He decided to help in secret. He waited until it was night and crept into their house through the chimney.
He had three bags of gold coins with him, one for each girl. As he was looking for a place to keep those three bags, he noticed stockings of the three girls that were hung over the mantelpiece for drying. He put one bag in each stocking and off he went. When the girls and their father woke up the next morning, they found the bags of gold coins.
The girls were able to get married and live happily ever after.
This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. The story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas.
And so St. Nicholas is a gift giver.
The tradition began in many European countries. Children simply used one of their everyday socks, but eventually special Christmas stockings were created for this purpose.
Today, stores carry a tremendous variety of styles and sizes of and stockings are also a popular homemade craft.
Many families create their own Christmas stockings with each family member name applied to the stocking so that Santa will know which stocking belongs to which family member.
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