Christmas Stockings
There once was a poor Italian man who had three daughters. In order to provide a dowry for two of them, he was going to have to sell one of the three into slavery for the money. The good Saint Nicholas of Myra heard of the family's misfortune and planned to pay them a visit. Late one night, he stopped by their home. As he was getting ready to knock on the door, he glanced into the window and saw that the daughters had washed their stockings and hung them to dry by the fire. Rather than embarrass the father by offering him charity, he tossed three bags of gold coins down the chimney and they fell into the drying stockings. The gold made it possible for all three of the daughters to marry. In celebration of this wonderful legend, we now hang our stockings from the mantle and wait for Santa Claus to fill them with goodies.
During the 19th century, children would usually receive an orange in the toe of their stocking, and some candy and small trinkets. I remember when I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, I always got an orange and stick candy in my stocking.
What do you get in your stocking?
I always got an orange too...and never knew why!!
ReplyDeleteMy parents, as children during the Depression, would get an orange and a few walnuts and think it a bounty. Funny, even though they did not receive enough presents to stock a warehouse, they were happy. What was wrong with them?
ReplyDeleteI can remember oranges being a bit of a special treat and they were only available in the winter months. I had totally forgotten about getting walnuts, brazilnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds in my stocking also!!
ReplyDeleteLove the history of the stockings! I enjoy putting small things like lotion-candy-ect in my girls stockings : )
ReplyDeleteI think that the small things that fit into stockings can be the most fun. Cute little fun toys and gadgets!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite gifts were those that came in the stockings...I never knew what kind of cool gadgetry I was going to find in there...or delicious treats. Those were the days!!!
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