cathy33December 22
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
Christmas stockings have been a holiday tradition for at least 200 years. St. Nicholas is widely credited with the beginning of the Christmas stocking tradition.
But it was this poem, The Night Before Christmas, that spread the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings. In the beginning, just plain stockings where hung, but after this poem became popular stockings with names on them became popular.
The hanging of stockings by the fireplace is one of the most popularly observed Christmas customs. Traditionally they are filled with small gifts such as fruit, nuts, sweets, or toys.
What is your childhood memory of hanging stockings? What did you find in your stockings on Christmas Day? Did you make or decorate your stockings as a child?
Do you/did you carryon this tradition with your children?
Do you have simple Christmas stockings or fancy Christmas stockings? Store bought or handmade?
What is the best part of hanging Christmas stockings?
Do you still hang and fill Christmas stockings? Or are they just a part of the décor?
