Stocking

dropdown The Christmas stocking is one of the most popular Christmas symbols in the United States. A Christmas stocking can be a real stocking or sock, but it is often a specially made and decorated sock shape that would only fit on a giant’s foot. The stockings are hung up before Christmas, often by the fireplace. The stocking is then filled with many different treats and gifts, usually at night on Christmas Eve. dropdown It is enjoyed on Christmas Day. Some people say that Santa Claus fills the stocking. Different families have different traditions about what goes in the stocking, although coins, chocolate, and fruit—especially oranges—are common. dropdown There are several different legends, of how the Christmas stocking became part of our Christmas celebration. One of the most popular legends is of a nobleman . He had lost all of his money, and so had nothing to give his daughters. One night, the daughters hung their stockings on the fireplace to dry. The next morning, St. Nicholas had filled their stockings with gold. dropdown Many people believe that Dutch people brought the tradition of the Christmas stocking to America. Children in Holland would leave their wooden clogs filled with straw for the reindeer on Christmas Eve. Santa would replace the straw with treats for the children to find on Christmas morning.