The Christmas Stocking dates back many years and is now a traditional thing for Children to hang up or put out on Christmas Eve.
There is no definitive records to say when the Christmas Stocking was first started but there is various tales that are written that could be where this traditional part of Christmas started.
One of the tales for the origins of the Christmas Stocking dates back many many years and there are a few different variations to the story that all follow a similar storyline. It went on to say how there was a man who was very poor and he had 3 beautiful daughters yet he did not have enough money to help get his daughters married. Because of this he was worried about what would happen to his daughters once he died.
Back in these times it was expected for a father to give his daughters and her new husband some money to help set them up, this was known as a dowry. Without the money then it was unlikely that any man would marry any of the daughters.
The predicament of the poor man and his daughters was being talked about by the villagers when Saint Nicholas who was passing overheard the story and what was going on. As Saint Nicholas knew that the poor man would not accept charity he waited until nighttime to help the poor man and hi daughters out.
When they were all asleep, Saint Nicholas got into the mans house through his chimney and had in his pocket three bags of gold coins which he was going to leave one for each of the daughters.
On looking where he could leave the gold coins he spotted 3 pairs of stockings were left over the mantelpiece to dry so he put one bag of gold coins in each stocking before leaving.
When the father and the girls awoke the next morning and found the gold coins they were all very happy and it meant that the girls would be able to get married.
From them on it is thought that Children started to hang stockings on the fireplace to await a gift from Saint Nicholas.
Gold balls are sometimes used in the story as apposed to gold coins which is why in modern times three oranges are put into children’s stockings.
The reason why bags of gold or silver chocolate coins are put into Christmas stockings also comes from this story.
Children’s Christmas stockings moved to children leaving out one of their socks but in more modern times specific Christmas stockings have been made and so children often have their own personal Christmas stocking that they put out each Christmas.
The choice of Christmas stockings that are available now is huge, with many different designs and styles to choose form, from standard looking red stockings with white cuffs to stockings with pictures on. There is now also a range of personalised Christmas Stockings where the child’s name is embroidered or printed onto their own stocking.
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