History of Hanging Stockings
As the old poem says, "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nick soon would be there." Hanging stockings on Christmas Eve is an old tradition reaching back to old Europe, and is surrounded by legends of St. Nicholas. Does this Spark an idea?
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It All Comes Down to St. Nicholas
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Statue of St. Nicholas When looking into the story behind the tradition of hanging stockings at Christmas time, we have to include St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was born in the third century in the Greek province of Patara. His wealthy parents died when he was young. He devoted his life to serving God, and used his inherited wealth to help the needy, many of which were children. Eventually he was made Bishop Nicholas of Myra. Roman Emperor Diocletian imprisoned Bishop Nicholas for a time for being a Christian.
A Blending of Holidays
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Santa Claus Bishop Nicholas died on December 6, AD 343. Bishop Nicholas was declared a saint due to all his good works, devotion to serving the church and its followers, and for his generosity. St. Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 6, became a religious holiday in many countries. St. Nicholas became synonymous with Christmas in the United States in 1821 after a book called "The Children's Friend" was published. In the story, St. Nicholas, called Sante Claus, made Christmas visits to children. Santa Claus appeared again 1823 in the classic poem "The Night Before Christmas," making him a permanent Christmas symbol in the United States.
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What Did St. Nick Have to do with Stockings?
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Treats for Santa Stories about St. Nicholas' generosity and kindness toward children and the needy circulated for centuries. He became a legend and a folk hero. The stories spread from Greece, to far reaches of Europe, and eventually across the world. There are variations in different cultures, but the idea remains the same. Children leave footwear or gifts by the chimney, and St. Nicholas will leave gifts in return. The following legends are lovely examples of the stories.
The Nobleman and his Daughters
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Gold coins There once was a very wealthy nobleman with three young daughters. His wife died and he was overcome with grief. He spent all of his money, including the girls' dowries. One day a group of villagers were talking about this when Bishop Nicholas was visiting. He overheard them and took pity on the girls. He went to their home late one night and hurled three bags of gold into their chimney. The coins landed in the girls' stockings. which were hung by the fire to dry. The father offered the gold as dowries, and the daughters were able to marry. Villagers told the story to others. It became popular for children to hang stockings and leave gifts for St. Nicholas in hopes of receiving gifts in return. Parents sometimes left oranges in stockings, which represented the bags of gold.
Sinterclass and the Wooden Clogs
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Dutch Clog Celebrating St. Nicholas (Sinterclass) Day became popular by the 16th century in Holland. Dutch children anticipated Sinterclass' visit to them while they slept. The children filled their wooden shoes with hay and carrots, and left them by the hearth as snacks for Sinterclass' reindeer. Sometimes they would leave a gift or snack for Sinterclass. In return, Sinterclass would leave gifts in the children's shoes. Over many years, stockings were sometimes used in place of wooden shoes.
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References
- Photo Credit Christmas Stockings by Fireplace image by Mary Beth Granger from Fotolia.com saint nicholas statue close-up image by Kostyantyn Ivanyshen from Fotolia.com santa claus image by Cristina Bernhardsen from Fotolia.com dessert image by Lani from Fotolia.com gold chocolate coins image by Martin Garnham from Fotolia.com Dutch clogs. isolated on white image by Accent from Fotolia.com
