Dave and Diane with Santa in Eaton's Toyland, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. 1957?
December 18 - Christmas Stockings
Did you have one? Where did you hang it? What did you get in it?
Like all my friends, my brother and I always had Christmas stockings. In fact, I still have mine. It is very faded and worn in places, but still has my name on it written in glitter paint.
On Christmas Eve, we’d hang our stockings on nails stuck under the living room fireplace mantel and in the morning when we came downstairs we’d find them on the hearth all lumpy looking with treats stuffed in them – always a Japanese orange and a candy cane, sometimes some nuts. Along with the sweet things were a present or two wrapped in tissue, usually something useful like socks and something pretty or sparkly for me– jewellery or, for my long hair, barrettes or hairpins, and a little toy or two, ones that would fit in the stocking.
Like all my friends, my brother and I always had Christmas stockings. In fact, I still have mine. It is very faded and worn in places, but still has my name on it written in glitter paint.
On Christmas Eve, we’d hang our stockings on nails stuck under the living room fireplace mantel and in the morning when we came downstairs we’d find them on the hearth all lumpy looking with treats stuffed in them – always a Japanese orange and a candy cane, sometimes some nuts. Along with the sweet things were a present or two wrapped in tissue, usually something useful like socks and something pretty or sparkly for me– jewellery or, for my long hair, barrettes or hairpins, and a little toy or two, ones that would fit in the stocking.
We were allowed to ‘open’ our stockings when we got up – or rather, when our parents got up - but for our other presents from Santa, we usually had to wait till after breakfast.
** I forgot to mention that we never, never got coal in our stockings. I do remember the saying though.
And, my parents and my Na didn't have Christmas stockings then (although maybe the cat did?) but much, much later, I used to do up a stocking for my mum.
Now I notice that, at many houses, everyone in the family has a Christmas stocking - when did this start, I wonder? I know that the idea of presents in stockings is 'old', but it seems to me that it was associated only with children. This is not a bad change though! My all grown daughter says stockings are the best thing about Christmas.
To read more Christmas Stocking memories, go to: http://destinationaustinfamily.blogspot.com/
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