The Stockings Were Hung
Everyone loves Christmas stockings, don’t they? They can be a blast from the past and an introduction to a new holiday tradition. Here’s an in-depth look at the evolution of Christmas stockings, from their original folklore source all the way to our current times.
The Folklore Origins of Christmas Stockings
As the most popular story goes, stockings were originally a result of a legend associated with Saint Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop of Myra who is the basis of our Santa Claus. He helped numerous people and was known for his kindness and generosity, which made him the patron saint of children. There’s a popular story about a poor widower who had 3 daughters and was unable to provide dowries to help them get married. Nicholas came down the chimney one night and discreetly dropped bags of gold into the house, which accidentally fell into the stockings left by the fireplace to dry. The girls’ parents were naturally surprised to find these valuable items in the morning, and so the tradition of filling stockings with gifts was born.
After a while, various versions of the Christmas stocking legend began to take hold in different European countries. For example, in the Netherlands, children would put their shoes by the fireplace filled with hay for Saint Nicholas’s horse to eat. The shoes would then be replaced with small gifts the following morning. In Germany, it was a tradition to hang stockings in celebration of Saint Nicholas Day, which is observed on December 6. The English loved the idea, and by the Victorian era it had become a family custom to stuff stockings with a variety of gifts and hang them on Christmas Eve.
During the 19th century, Christmas stockings were a simple pair of wool or cotton socks. These were often quite large, which allowed room for a variety of treats and gifts, such as fruits, nuts, small toys, and candies. The gifts were usually small and simple, but the emphasis was on their sincerity. Vintage illustrations show bulging stockings, which every child would open with wide-eyed wonder and uncontainable excitement.
Stockings Around the World Today
These days, stockings have evolved to be much larger and decorative. People often use oversized stockings made from velvet, felt, or knitted materials. A common practice is to include the child’s name on the cuff, either embroidered or printed by a machine. Stocking stuffers have also become much more diverse: while oranges, candy canes, nuts, and other traditional treats are still used, you can also find tech gadgets, beauty products, or gift cards in modern stockings.
In many parts of the US and Canada, it is a tradition to open stockings on Christmas morning. In the UK, children’s stockings might be opened at the foot of the bed, or parents may choose to hang them on the fireplace. The custom of the Christmas stocking is still known in Italy and is called Calza, which is typically filled with goodies on January 6 by La Befana, a kind witch who brings candy to well-behaved children. These are only a few examples of how Christmas stocking traditions have evolved over time, but all of them follow the central theme of surprise and delight.
Creating Your Own Stocking Tradition
No matter whether you prefer vintage nostalgia or a more contemporary style, there’s a whole spectrum of possibilities when it comes to making Christmas stockings your own family ritual. You could sew the stockings yourself, or stick to regional variations of the custom, or even put rules on what types of gifts are allowed. No matter what you do, you’ll be sending the message that the season is about generosity, creativity, and the sheer joy of giving.