Christmas Stockings -
Legendary Stocking Stories
by Patricia L. Cummings
The tradition of hanging stockings on Christmas Eve has its origins in one of the many legends that surround Nicholas, the saintly Bishop of Myra. One evening, the story goes, three marriageable daughters of an impoverished nobleman hung their stockings on the fireplace to dry. Out of compassion for the girls, Nicholas threw little bags of gold coins down the chimney, which happened to land in the stockings. Thus Nicholas provided the girls with a dowry and they were eventually able to marry.
A beautiful Hoffman print served as the inspiration for this stocking design by Patricia Cummings. photo by James Cummings
This legend may be responsible for the tradition of putting gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins in children's stockings on Christmas Eve, something that was part of my own family tradition. (In my house, Santa would place these treats right next to a brand new toothbrush as a gentle reminder to brush after eating sweets!)
Despite its early origins, the idea of hanging Christmas stockings did not actually become popular in North America until the end of the nineteenth century. The first people to reference Christmas stockings in print were writer George Webster in a story about a visit from Santa Claus, and illustrator Thomas Nast through his sketches.
Childhood Memories
When I was a child during the 1950s, Christmas would not have been Christmas had it not been for the row of stockings hung on the fireplace the night before. (Luckily, we always lived in a house with a real fireplace, so wondering how Santa would find a way in wasn't a concern.) Each of the four children in our household had a red stocking with a white cuff. I vaguely remember our names being placed on the cuffs, but not how they were added.
On Christmas morning, we eagerly inspected the contents of our stockings. In the toe, we would always find an orange, a real treat for us, since we were northerners. This citrus delight became part of our Christmas breakfast. For years, I thought oranges were a tradition unique to our family, until I came across a quote in the book, A Family Christmas (The Reader's Digest Association: 1984). Attributed to Roseanne Russell, the quotation reads, "The orange has its place you know, To fill each Christmas stocking toe."
In some cultures, the orange has become symbolic of the gold that was placed in the stockings of the three girls, and also signifies that a child has been good. Japanese oranges have special meaning for those who live in the Canadian prairies. Their arrival at such a cold time of year brightens the holiday, and the juicy fruit finds its way into many children's stockings.
Stockings and Stuffers
Besides an orange, I also looked forward to getting little toys in my stocking. My favorites were square puzzles that you could hold in your hand. The puzzles consisted of moveable pieces that, when positioned correctly, would depict a giraffe or other animal. My brothers would find bags of marbles, small metal cars, wooden yo-yos, or bright red bouncy balls (with which to drive my parents crazy, since the snow outside didn't permit outdoor play.) The contents of our stockings were certainly not extravagant by today's standards. Nevertheless, we eagerly anticipated the little surprises that awaited us! Another special tradition was the placement of white envelopes on the tree, with each of our names. Inside would be a brand new dollar bill, a fortune in those days.
Years ago, Christmas stockings were rather ordinary, but today, some stocking are miniature works of art. They can be quilted, decorated with crewel embroidery, appliquéd, and bejeweled.
What better gift for a quilting friend than a stocking full of fat quarters held together with a colorful holiday ribbon? Small, useful gadgets, tools, or a quilt pattern can be included. What quilter wouldn't like a pieced wooden key ring that looks like a quilt block? Buttons, pieces of antique lace, skeins of silk ribbon, or specialty fibers make great gifts for art quilters or crazy quilters. A deck of playing cards with quilt images might be welcome. If you are crafty, you can try creating your own "art quilts" by altering an existing deck of cards. Gift shops sell tiny hardcover books on various subjects, including quilting, that would fit nicely inside a stocking. These are just a few ideas, but there are countless others.
A mall jewelry box can be tucked into a stocking, as can hair ornaments and bows, makeup, or tickets to a concert of show. In fact, when you think about it, there are many items that you can acquire throughout the year specifically for the purpose of giving as stocking gifts. Of course, the stocking could be a gift unto itself!
In the Holiday 2004 issue of The Quilter magazine, there is a pattern for a Christmas stocking I designed, that is shown here. Unfortunately, I chose a background fabric at a quilt shop, in July, and by the time the magazine came out in October, the manufacturer had sold out of the fabric. I'm sure that another suitable fabric could be located that would look just as nice, but I am sorry for the inconvenience to our readers who had their heart set on making the exact same stocking.
The choice of a Poinsettia for the design was not incidental. The Poinsettia and its connection to Christmas are rooted in Mexico, where it was customary to bring gifts for the Christ Child to Christmas Eve church services. Legend has it that two poor children had nothing to bring for the baby Jesus on Christmas Eve. All they could do was to pick some green weeds that were growing by the side of the road. When the reached the village church, they lovingly placed the weeds around the altar. Miraculously, the scraggly weeds turned into bright, beautiful red flowers because of the purity of the children's love.
Tradition is such an exciting part of Christmas! I am happy that stockings were part of my childhood celebration. Another favorite tradition continues in my household, that of Stollen, a delicious yeast bread that contains candied fruit and raisins, and is topped with drizzled icing and sliced cherries. The tradition of making Stollen began in Austria, the home of my great grandparents. My mother's recipe for Stollen can be found on my website: http://www.quiltersmuse.com/ChristmasFruitStollen.htm
In my family, we also sang holiday carols, attended Christmas services, and gave each other gifts on this feast day. For at least one day out of the year, all was right with the world!
Peace to you throughout this holiday season and happy quilting in the coming year! Patricia and James Cummings
Additional Christmas Cheer!
The Song Playlist for this website includes some Christmas songs in various languages. See my Pat's Blog, for many entries and photos about Christmas.
Profile of the Life and Times of John Grace, a book by Patricia Cummings, described online, with family photos.
©Copyright 2004, 2006. Patricia and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. Comments? Questions? pat@quiltersmuse.com