Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - December 18

December 18 - Christmas Stockings

Did you have one?
I had a lovely stocking that Mother purchased for me as a baby. It had my name embroidered on it. I've looked for a photo of it, but can't seem to locate one. Unfortunately, that stocking was lost in a box of Christmas decorations during a military move. I was heart broken at the time, and felt I'd never have another. Since then, I've only ever used simple cheap ones. [But that may change next year, as I hope to hand make new ones for dh and dd and myself!]

Where did you hang it?
In the very early years, Mother hung our stockings on the back of chairs, or taped them to the wall. When filled, Santa would leave them under the tree, or propped up on a chair or the sofa. Later, Mother bought a terribly gaudy faux [cardboard] fireplace, and they were pinned to that. When I was a teenager we moved to the country where we had an actual mantle to hang our stockings! Mother purchased lovely stocking hangers, and they hung there. Today I have an electric fireplace [which I dearly love!] and our stockings hang from that.

What did you get in it?
We got nuts and fruits and a few little gifts from Santa. There were charm bracelets, earrings, a necklace, and a compact as I grew older. Sometimes there were socks, or unmentionables. Cologne was a favorite as well. Pencils and pens. Usually our stockings overflowed with goodies! I'm afraid they still do! Santa fills them, or rather overflows them all kinds of goodies!!!

Do you have any Christmas stockings used by your ancestors?
Unfortunately, no. Of the three grandparents I knew, all three told me that they hung their regular socks from the mantle on Christmas Eve. They all told me they'd get an orange or an apple and single piece of candy. Oftentimes, this was the only Christmas they received. But they were never disappointed. Later, as they became adults, they no longer hung stockings. But when Grandma Bean came to live with us when I was five, she had a stocking hanging with ours until her death, ten-years later.
Both of my parents hung regular stockings as children. And both received candy and fruit in theirs. However, Mother also received little gifts as well: earrings, a bracelet, other jewelry; cosmetics; and pencils.

Did you hang stockings as a child? What did you get in them? Do you still have your childhood stocking? Do you have an ancestors stocking?