The Christmas Stocking

I can't help but adore this cute image of a contemporary alternative to stockings. I think I will have to dig my pink wellies out of the cupboard. This image got me thinking though about where the tradition of the stocking came from. In many European countries children leave out shoes often old or peasant shoes. Another tradition in some countries is to leave a box under the bed.



        So where does the stocking come from?



Well there are several versions of the legend here is one of them

Very long ago, there lived a poor man and his three very beautiful daughters. He had no money to get his daughters married, and he was worried what would happen to them after his death.

Saint Nicholas was passing through when he heard the villagers talking about the girls. St. Nicholas wanted to help, but knew that the old man wouldn't accept charity. He decided to help in secret. He waited until it was night and crept through the chimney.

He had three bags of gold coins with him, one for each girl. As he was looking for a place to keep those three bags, he noticed stockings of the three girls that were hung over the mantelpiece for drying. He put one bag in each stocking and off he went. When the girls and their father woke up the next morning, they found the bags of gold coins and were of course, overjoyed. The girls were able to get married and live happily ever after.

The legend then led to the tradition of children leaving out their old socks or shoes in the hope that saint Nicholas would stop by & leave gifts. The tradition started in Europe & over the years a special Christmas stocking was created.