| ar on Christmas morning, when it is time to | | | | It just so happened that the girls had washed |
| gather around the Christmas tree to open gifts, | | | | their laundry that evening and had hung their |
| the first thing my children do is reach for their | | | | stockings by the fireplace to dry. When St. |
| Christmas stockings. They cannot resist the fluffy | | | | Nicholas dropped the bags of gold down the |
| red stocking lined with white fur that is stuffed to | | | | chimney they landed in the girls stockings. When |
| the brim with mysterious little gifts and candies. It | | | | the girls woke up the next morning and went to |
| is a wonderful tradition that has always been a big | | | | get their stockings they discovered more than |
| part of our family Christmas celebrations, as it is | | | | enough gold to pay for each of their dowries. |
| with many families, in one way or the other, | | | | Each girl then got married and lived happily ever |
| across the world. How did the giving of a sock | | | | after. Once word spread of how the girls had |
| stuffed with goodies become such an integral part | | | | found gold in their stockings, everyone started |
| of Christmas to begin with? | | | | hanging their stockings by the fireplace in hopes |
| In order to answer that question, I decided to do | | | | that they would be as fortunate. |
| some research and I found that there are several | | | | While we do not hang our laundered stockings or |
| possible stories behind the Christmas stocking. No | | | | socks by the chimney to dry, most of us do |
| one is exactly sure which story, if any, is true. | | | | honor the Christmas tradition of hanging a |
| However, the most accepted story entails a man | | | | stocking on Christmas Eve. The biggest difference |
| whose wife had passed away and left him with | | | | is that now our stockings are made in all different |
| three daughters to take care of. He was not a | | | | shapes, sizes, colors, and textures and they are |
| rich man and he was worried that even though | | | | made especially for use as Christmas stockings. |
| his daughters were kind and gentle, they would | | | | Instead of putting gold in the stockings, we put |
| never get married because he could not afford to | | | | special gifts in them. If we are really bad during |
| pay their dowries. | | | | the year, we might just get a lump of coal |
| One day St. Nicholas, also known as Saint Nicholas | | | | instead of gifts. |
| of Myra, was walking through town and | | | | I am intrigued by the fact that what may be an |
| overheard the townspeople talking about the | | | | old wives tale could create such a wonderful |
| mans dilemma with his three daughters. St. | | | | tradition as Christmas stockings. The story of the |
| Nicholas wanted to help but he knew that the | | | | father and his three daughters started a tradition |
| man would never willingly accept money from him. | | | | that is now as much a part of Christmas as |
| So he waited until it was dark and went to the | | | | Santa himself. Christmas just would not be the |
| mans home and dropped three bags of gold down | | | | same without Christmas stockings. |
| the chimney, one for each girl. | | | | |