Hanging a Christmas stocking is a tradition that has been followed since times
immemorial. It is believed that St. Nicholas would fill the stockings with
gifts, on the eve of Christmas. Small kids eagerly wait for his arrival and the
gifts that he would bring along with him. They decorate their stockings
beautifully and hang them nearby fireplace. Although there are no written
records of the origin of Christmas stockings, there are some popular stories
that have been believed since generations. One of the most popular legend talks
about the history of Christmas. In the article, we have provided interesting
information on the origin and history of Christmas stockings.
Origin Of Christmas Stocking
Many centuries back, there lived a poor man in a village. He had three beautiful
daughters. His wife had passed away due to some illness and he had spent all his
money to cure his wife. Thus, he was left with no money to marry off his
daughters. The three daughters were very kind and strong and this is what
worried their father even more. He was concerned what would happen to them after
his death. One fine day, St. Nicholas was passing through the village, when he
overheard the discussion of some villagers talking about the pitiable condition
of the three girls. St. Nicholas wanted to help the poor father, but he knew
that the old man wouldn't accept money from him.
St. Nicholas decided to help the family secretly, without letting anybody else
know about it. He waited until it was night and stealthily sneaked into their
house, through the chimney. He had three bags of gold coins with him, one for
each girl. As he was looking for a place to keep those three bags, he noticed
stockings of the three girls that were hung over the mantelpiece for drying. He
put each bag in each stocking and then went away. When the girls and their
father woke up the next morning, they were thrilled to find the bags of gold
coins. He happily married off his daughters, one after the other, and they
remained happy for the rest of their lives. The story about St. Nicholas being
so generous spread throughout the village and then all over the land. Since
then, it has been a tradition to hang stocking on Christmas in the hope that St.
Nicholas would bring a present. |
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