Part five of a series on the history and traditions Christmas.
The history of Christmas stockings is closely related to that of Saint Nicholas.
It is said that in one particular act of kindness and generosity St. Nicholas saved the lives of three sisters. The story goes that the sisters were to be sold by their father into slavery because he was poor and had no dowries to bestow upon his daughters. St. Nicholas heard of this man and one night ventured off to his home.
Peering in the window, St. Nicholas saw the three sisters fast asleep in their bed. He noticed that they had just finished washing up their stockings and hung them to dry by the window and the fireplace.
As the story goes, St. Nicholas then took several gold pieces from his pockets and began throwing them through the window and down the chimney.
Supposedly, the gold pieces fell into the sister's stockings, and when they awoke in the morning, they found their stockings filled with shimmering gold pieces that saved their lives from a destitute future.
This is the most well-known and retold account of St. Nicholas' charity. He performed many other everyday “miracles” rescuing the poor from the terrible fates that awaited them otherwise.
This legend spread throughout Europe like wildfire, and hopeful children would leave their stockings hung beside the chimney. in some cultures, wooden shoes were left sitting on the hearth instead of stockings. The children would awake in the mornings to find all sorts of presents and goodies filling their stockings or shoes.
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Author: Anne Jefferson
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