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The
Christmas Stocking
"The
stockings were hung
by the chimney with
care
In hopes that Saint
Nicholas soon would
be there"
There
was a kindly
nobleman whose wife
had died of an
illness leaving the
nobleman and his
three daughters in
despair. After
losing all his money
in useless and bad
inventions the
family had to move
into a peasant's
cottage, where the
daughters did their
own cooking, sewing
and cleaning.
When it came time
for the daughters to
marry, the father
became even more
depressed as his
daughters could not
marry without
dowries, money and
property given to
the new husband's
family.
One
night after the
daughters had washed
out their clothing
they hung their
stockings over the
fireplace to dry.
That night Saint
Nicholas, knowing
the despair of the
father, stopped by
the nobleman's
house. Looking in
the window Saint
Nicholas saw that
the family had gone
to bed. He also
noticed the
daughters stockings.
Inspiration struck
Saint Nicholas and
he took three small
bags of gold from
his pouch and threw
them one by one down
the chimney and they
landed in the
stockings.
The
next morning when
the daughters awoke
they found their
stockings contained
enough gold for them
to get married. The
nobleman was able to
see his three
daughters marry and
he lived a long and
happy life.
Children
all over the world
continue the
tradition of hanging
Christmas stockings.
In some countries
children have
similar customs, in
France the children
place their shoes by
the fireplace, a
tradition dating
back to when
children wore wooden
peasant shoes.
In Holland the
children fill their
shoes with hay and a
carrot for the horse
of Sintirklass. In
Hungary children
shine their shoes
before putting them
near the door or a
window sill.
Italian
children leave their
shoes out the night
before Epiphany,
January 5, for La
Befana the good
witch. And in Puerto
Rico children put
greens and flowers
in small boxes and
place them under
their beds for the
camels of the Three
Kings.
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