The History of Stockings at Christmas

Once upon a time, in the days of old Saint Nicholas, people, especially children used to hang their stockings on the chimney after they washed them so they would dry.  It is believed that Saint Nicholas would come and throw coins down the chimney aiming for the stockings.  The children would get up the next morning and gleefully would find the coins.  It is said that Saint Nicolas did this for the children who were poor and he knew that with these coins they could buy them food in the town. 

The children would then come to expect the gifts and would actually fill the stockings or shoes with straw (for the white horse Saint Nicholas was said to own) and food for St Nicholas.  Eventually the stockings and shoes were exchanged for homemade or shop bought stockings.  Historians believe that this tradition started 400 years ago and has been followed to this modern day.  Though these stories sound farfetched, there is some truth to the legend. 

Nicholas was a real person who lived in about the 16^th century.  He was commissioned as a bishop and lived in a small town in Turkey.  He would make daily rounds to the people, offering spiritual guidance and encouragement.  One day he came upon a home where three daughters of age to be married, did not have the money for the required dowry needed in those days, for their father had come to financial ruin.  The man was kind and loved by the community. 

Bishop Nicholas knew that though he had the money, he could not offer it for charity was a shameful thing to accept.  So the legend says that during his visit he saw that the three young girls had washed their stockings and hung them up at the fireplace to dry.  Later that night, he returned with three gold purses filled with enough money for each of the dowries.  He then climbed down the chimney and placed the three purses in each of the bags. 

When the story got out, all children started to hand up their stockings, in the hopes of receiving such good fortune as well.  After many night runs, Bishop Nicholas could not keep up with the ritual, so he decided to give the gifts on Christmas day, to commemorate the birth of Christ.  Today, though Saint Nicholas (he was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church) is no longer around, the stockings still make an appearance every Christmas, with the hopes that goodies will be found in them the next morning.