For centuries children have hung stockings by fireplaces *”in the hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there”. This tradition creates a feeling of magic and anticipation about the arrival of this mystical figure that will slide down your chimney to bring you your heart’s desire. How is it possible that Santa Claus can fly through sky? Will he really fit in your chimney? How does he know that you really want that toy train or that talking doll? Just as magical, he is able to visit your home even if you don’t have a chimney.

In fact there are no written records as to how this tradition began. If one is to believe the legend of the nobleman who lost his wife and his fortune and was in despair that his three daughters would be unable to marry with out a dowry, this might be origin of the Christmas stocking. Hearing of the sad plight of these fair young ladies Saint Nicholas paid them a visit. Having crept into their home in the middle of the night he was searching for a place to leave the three bags of gold for them when he spied their stockings drying by the fire. He left his gift of gold in these stockings and saved the day for them. From this story, the placing of oranges as representing the bags of gold has lived through the centuries.

 Another theory about the beginning of the hanging of Christmas stockings comes, like the tradition of Christmas trees, from Germany. Children would leave their boots filled with straw, carrots, or sugar near the fireplace for Odin’s (a major god in Norse mythology) flying horse Sleipner in exchange for gifts or candy. 

 In the beginning children would leave their ordinary daily stockings or their boots or their clogs by the fireplace with the hopes that Saint Nicholas would leave them a small gift or some candy. It makes sense that this was done by a fireplace because in those days the fireplace was the source of heat and light in their homes. Gradually special Christmas stockings were created and were only used for this purpose.

 Today Christmas stockings are a major part of the Christmas celebration. There are large ones, small ones, and everything in between. For retailers they are often a large part of their Christmas decoration sales. The stockings are made of almost any imaginable fabric. They can be created from felt, fake fur, knitted, needlepoint, or quilted fabric. Many retailers offer a service to personalize them with the name of the child or adult on them. There are beautiful ornate ones that are used just as decorations.

 In many families there is a tradition of hand making the stockings. There are beautiful needlework kits that are made to celebrate the new arrival of a family member. In other families the stockings are crafted out of felt or a similar fabric in a set pattern and are made for every member of the family. Sometimes even the pets of the family have their own stockings.

 Although the tradition of putting an orange in the stocking seems to have survived, it seems that we are a long way from the small gift or a piece of candy and most Christmas stockings are over flowing with candy, puzzles, small toys, and sometimes rather absurd gadgets. In all of this over abundance we must not lose sight of the magic and joy that this tradition of hanging Christmas stockings brings to the children. They do truly go to bed * ” while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.”

*The Night Before Christmas Clement C. Moore.   

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/the-magic-of-the-christmas-stocking-5285473.html

Tags: christmas, christmas celebration, christmas stocking, hanging christmas stocking

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