Stuffing Stockings on St. Nicholas Day
On St. Nicholas Day, December 6 of every year, the stockings hang with care and the stocking hangers hover with anticipation. Many countries celebrate Saint Nicholas Day on December 6 . Children hang stockings on St. Nicholas Eve and the people who love them fill the stockings with inexpensive and customized keepsakes to be unwrapped and enjoyed until Christmas day and afterwards.
Stories about the beginnings of the custom of hanging Christmas stockings emerge from the mists of long ago. One tradition says that in Sixteenth Century Holland, children kept their clogs filled with straw in front of the hearth for Santa’s reindeer to find. They put a treat for “Sinterclass”, Santa Claus, near the fireplace in the house and to return the kindness Sinterclass left gifts in the clogs. In time the children hung their stockings on the mantle instead of putting their clogs on the hearth and Sinterclass became Santa Claus.
The Nobleman ‘s Story
The nobleman’s story is another Christmas stocking legend. A nobleman from an unnamed country, his wife, and three daughters lived together in peace and prosperity until the wife became ill and died. Devastated by the death of his wife,
the nobleman squandered his wealth and property. Their reduced circumstances forced the nobleman and his daughters to move into a peasant’s cottage.
Eventually, his daughters wanted to get married, but since the nobleman had lost all of his wealth he couldn’t afford to give them a dowry. The nobleman grew more and more worried about providing for the marriages of his daughters. One day, Saint Nicholas of Myra happened to pass through the nobleman’s village and he heard the story of the impoverished nobleman. Saint Nicholas knew that the nobleman would be too proud to accept money from him, so he came up with another plan. He waited until dark and then he went to the nobleman’s house and threw three bags of gold coins down the chimney.
In the meantime, the nobleman’s daughters washed their clothes and hung their stockings by the fireplace. When Saint Nicholas threw the three bags of gold coins down the chimney, a bag fell into each of the three stockings of the nobleman’s daughters. When the three daughters and their father woke up the next morning, they found the money in their stockings. The nobleman used the money to pay a generous dowry for each of his daughters. The story of the generosity of St. Nicholas spread throughout the village and the villagers started hanging their stockings by the fireplace. Over time the custom spread and every year people young and old hang their stockings for the coming of Santa Claus.
A slightly different version of the story depicted the nobleman as a penniless man, penniless because he had spent all of his money trying to find a cure for his wife. Instead of throwing bags of money down the chimney, Saint Nicholas crept into the house and spotting the stockings hanging by the fireplace, he decided to put a money bag in each stocking.
The Good Witch La Befana Fills the Stockings of Italian Children
The story of a good witch known as La Befana is a central part of Italy’s traditional celebration. She arrives on her broomstick during the night of January 5 and fills the stockings of good children with toys and sweets. The bad children get lumps of coal in their stockings. According to the legend, the story of La Befana began the night before the Wisemen arrived at the manager, when they stopped at an old woman’s hut to ask directions. They invited the old woman to come along, but she said that she had too much work to do. Then a shepherd asked her to travel with him to the Christ child, but again she said that she had too much to do.
Later that night, the old woman saw a star as bright as the sun in the sky and she decided to join the Wise Men and the shepherd. She carried gifts that had belonged to her child who had died along with her, but she never found the manger. Now on Eleventh night each year, La Befana flies around on her broomstick searching for the baby Jesus and bringing gifts to children.
On the evening of January 5, children hang their stockings waiting for the visit of La Befana. Thomas Nast and Clement Moore European immigrants brought the custom of holiday stockings and Saint Nicholas Day with them to the United States, and Americans quickly adapted and assimilated them into American culture. In 1886, author George Webster wrote a story called “Santa Claus and His Works.”
A well known illustrator, Thomas Nast, who worked for Harper’s Weekly Magazine illustrated the story by using a line from the Christmas poem “a Visit From Saint Nicholas”, written by Clement Moore. Thomas Nast drew the stockings hanging “by the chimney with care,” and hanging stockings became more widespread in American Christmas celebrations. Thomas Nast also popularized the imagine that people recognize as Santa Claus, drawing on his native German tradition of Santa Claus as the fourth century Bishop Saint Nicholas, famous for his kindness and generosity.
In the German tradition, December 6 is Saint Nicholas Day, a festival day honoring Saint Nicholas. After this, Santa Claus and to a lesser degree, Saint Nicholas Day, thrived in American Christian and secular culture. St. Nicholas Day is widely celebrated in America, especially in cities like Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and St. Louis, Missouri, which were predominately settled by German immigrants.
Making St. Nicholas Day Part of Your Christmas Celebration
Celebrating Saint Nicholas Day as well as Christmas can preserve the gentle and joyful spirit of the original Bishop Saint Nicholas. One way to do this is make every day from Saint Nicholas Eve until Christmas, a stocking stuffer day. Children can hang their stockings and wake up the next morning to find them filled with inexpensive candy and stuffers- folded sheets of paper or cards. The stuffers can contain stories, beginning with the story of the original St. Nicholas. The next story can be from Grandma, the next from Mom, the next from a sibling, and so on. The stuffer cards can contain letters of appreciation, and drawings the children make for each other and their families. The only rule is that the stuffers need to be original. The rest is up to family imagination and family custom.
References
Ayo, Nicholas. Saint Nicholas in America; Christmas Holy Day and Holiday. Corby books, 2006.
Bennett, William J. The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas. Howard Books, Simon & Schuster, 2009
Cann, D.L. Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra: The Life and Times of the Original Father Christmas. Novalis, Canada, 2002
Joslin, Mary. Saint Nicholas: The Story of the Real Santa Claus. Lion Children’s Books, UK, 2003.
On St. Nicholas Day, December 6 of every year, the stockings hang with care and the stocking hangers hover with anticipation. Many countries celebrate Saint Nicholas Day on December 6 . Children hang stockings on St. Nicholas Eve and the people who love them fill the stockings with inexpensive and customized keepsakes to be unwrapped and enjoyed until Christmas day and afterwards.
Stories about the beginnings of the custom of hanging Christmas stockings emerge from the mists of long ago. One tradition says that in Sixteenth Century Holland, children kept their clogs filled with straw in front of the hearth for Santa’s reindeer to find. They put a treat for “Sinterclass”, Santa Claus, near the fireplace in the house and to return the kindness Sinterclass left gifts in the clogs. In time the children hung their stockings on the mantle instead of putting their clogs on the hearth and Sinterclass became Santa Claus.
The Nobleman ‘s Story
The nobleman’s story is another Christmas stocking legend. A nobleman from an unnamed country, his wife, and three daughters lived together in peace and prosperity until the wife became ill and died. Devastated by the death of his wife,
the nobleman squandered his wealth and property. Their reduced circumstances forced the nobleman and his daughters to move into a peasant’s cottage.
Eventually, his daughters wanted to get married, but since the nobleman had lost all of his wealth he couldn’t afford to give them a dowry. The nobleman grew more and more worried about providing for the marriages of his daughters. One day, Saint Nicholas of Myra happened to pass through the nobleman’s village and he heard the story of the impoverished nobleman. Saint Nicholas knew that the nobleman would be too proud to accept money from him, so he came up with another plan. He waited until dark and then he went to the nobleman’s house and threw three bags of gold coins down the chimney.
In the meantime, the nobleman’s daughters washed their clothes and hung their stockings by the fireplace. When Saint Nicholas threw the three bags of gold coins down the chimney, a bag fell into each of the three stockings of the nobleman’s daughters. When the three daughters and their father woke up the next morning, they found the money in their stockings. The nobleman used the money to pay a generous dowry for each of his daughters. The story of the generosity of St. Nicholas spread throughout the village and the villagers started hanging their stockings by the fireplace. Over time the custom spread and every year people young and old hang their stockings for the coming of Santa Claus.
A slightly different version of the story depicted the nobleman as a penniless man, penniless because he had spent all of his money trying to find a cure for his wife. Instead of throwing bags of money down the chimney, Saint Nicholas crept into the house and spotting the stockings hanging by the fireplace, he decided to put a money bag in each stocking.
The Good Witch La Befana Fills the Stockings of Italian Children
The story of a good witch known as La Befana is a central part of Italy’s traditional celebration. She arrives on her broomstick during the night of January 5 and fills the stockings of good children with toys and sweets. The bad children get lumps of coal in their stockings. According to the legend, the story of La Befana began the night before the Wisemen arrived at the manager, when they stopped at an old woman’s hut to ask directions. They invited the old woman to come along, but she said that she had too much work to do. Then a shepherd asked her to travel with him to the Christ child, but again she said that she had too much to do.
Later that night, the old woman saw a star as bright as the sun in the sky and she decided to join the Wise Men and the shepherd. She carried gifts that had belonged to her child who had died along with her, but she never found the manger. Now on Eleventh night each year, La Befana flies around on her broomstick searching for the baby Jesus and bringing gifts to children.
On the evening of January 5, children hang their stockings waiting for the visit of La Befana. Thomas Nast and Clement Moore European immigrants brought the custom of holiday stockings and Saint Nicholas Day with them to the United States, and Americans quickly adapted and assimilated them into American culture. In 1886, author George Webster wrote a story called “Santa Claus and His Works.”
A well known illustrator, Thomas Nast, who worked for Harper’s Weekly Magazine illustrated the story by using a line from the Christmas poem “a Visit From Saint Nicholas”, written by Clement Moore. Thomas Nast drew the stockings hanging “by the chimney with care,” and hanging stockings became more widespread in American Christmas celebrations. Thomas Nast also popularized the imagine that people recognize as Santa Claus, drawing on his native German tradition of Santa Claus as the fourth century Bishop Saint Nicholas, famous for his kindness and generosity.
In the German tradition, December 6 is Saint Nicholas Day, a festival day honoring Saint Nicholas. After this, Santa Claus and to a lesser degree, Saint Nicholas Day, thrived in American Christian and secular culture. St. Nicholas Day is widely celebrated in America, especially in cities like Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and St. Louis, Missouri, which were predominately settled by German immigrants.
Making St. Nicholas Day Part of Your Christmas Celebration
Celebrating Saint Nicholas Day as well as Christmas can preserve the gentle and joyful spirit of the original Bishop Saint Nicholas. One way to do this is make every day from Saint Nicholas Eve until Christmas, a stocking stuffer day. Children can hang their stockings and wake up the next morning to find them filled with inexpensive candy and stuffers- folded sheets of paper or cards. The stuffers can contain stories, beginning with the story of the original St. Nicholas. The next story can be from Grandma, the next from Mom, the next from a sibling, and so on. The stuffer cards can contain letters of appreciation, and drawings the children make for each other and their families. The only rule is that the stuffers need to be original. The rest is up to family imagination and family custom.
References
Ayo, Nicholas. Saint Nicholas in America; Christmas Holy Day and Holiday. Corby books, 2006.
Bennett, William J. The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas. Howard Books, Simon & Schuster, 2009
Cann, D.L. Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra: The Life and Times of the Original Father Christmas. Novalis, Canada, 2002
Joslin, Mary. Saint Nicholas: The Story of the Real Santa Claus. Lion Children’s Books, UK, 2003.
