Christmas stockings are without doubt a firm favourite amongst the Christmas decorations. Not everyone has a fireplace these days, but door handles, bed posts and cupboard handles will all lend themselves as stocking hanging points.
For generations, children and adults have eagerly hung their stockings on Christmas Eve in the hope that they will find some treats in them on Christmas morning.
Why do we hang them, and how have the festive contents changed over the years?
The tale goes that a kind-hearted bishop named Sinter Klaus heard about the plight of a family who had fallen into poverty. The widowed father of three daughters did not have enough money to pay dowries for his girls and their outlook was bleak. Knowing the family would not accept charity, the bishop reportedly dropped gold down their chimney, which fell into some stockings left out to dry. Some stories suggest the original Santa Claus was caught sneaking out afterwards by the grateful family, and the legend of Santa was born.
It was once common for stocking presents to be prepared months in advance, when presents were handcrafted and homemade edible treats were included. The industrial revolution and onset of mass toy production paved the way for the present giving we see today, with a brief pause during wartime, when rationing forced a backwards step in gift giving.
Of course we will often find gold coins in our stockings to this day – but typically of the chocolate variety.
