Christmas Costumes » Christmas Stockings

No one is quite sure when the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings from the mantle first began but it is a tradition that everyone, especially the children, looks forward to at Christmas time. Legend has it that in the 4th century AD there was a poor, elderly man who had no dowry to get his daughters married before he died. St. Nicholas heard of his plight and knowing that the man would not take charity, snuck down the chimney in the middle of the night and put a bag of gold in each of the stockings that were drying on the mantle. The daughters were overjoyed by the gift and were able to marry, much to their father's delight.

Back then, Christmas stocking where typically wool socks but these days, Christmas stockings come in every color and size with all kinds of adornments and embellishments. The most common looking Christmas stocking matches the style of a Santa suit, featuring a red plush or velvet boot shaped stocking with white fur trim and a fabric loop for hanging on the mantle. If you don't have a mantle you can also hang Christmas stockings from a bedpost, a bookshelf or even hang them from the Christmas Tree.

One of the best things about the holiday is displaying and filling the Christmas stockings. The stocking stuffers are always a surprise. Common stocking stuffers are candy, small toys and gift cards. For grown ups, stocking stuffers may be the best of all the presents because it is usually where you will find a shiny little bauble too small to put under the tree. Regardless of what is inside a Christmas stocking, to see them overflowing on Christmas day is so exciting. It significantly adds to the whole gift giving experience.