We all know about stockings and it's association
with the celebration of Christmas. But few of us know why we hang
stockings on the fireplace. According to legends it is said that
Saint Nicholas known as Santa Claus threw three small pouches of
gold coins down a chimney of the home of three poor sisters. Each of
the coins pouches landed inside separate stockings left on the
hearth to dry. So on that belief the stockings are kept on the
fireplace with the hope that we might have the same good fortune of
getting something from Santa Claus. Still today also the tradition
is followed. In North America, the traditional Christmas stocking
actually dates back to the end of the Sixth century.
The first to mention Christmas stockings being hung from a chimney
were the illustrator, Thomas Nast, through his pictures and the
writer, George Webster, in a story about a visit from Santa Claus.
In Quebec and Acadia, children traditionally put their shoes close
to the fireplace with a hope that Jesus and Father Christmas will
put some gifts on their stockings on the Christmas Eve. In some
Quebec families, children hung their stockings at the end of their
bed rather than hanging them close to the fireplace or putting out
their shoes. This custom mainly originated from the European
countries but ended during the 1930s when Christmas trees started to
be set up in houses with gifts placed underneath.
