Have you participated in the tradition of hanging stockings at Christmas? December It is one of the most beautiful months of the year and it is one of our favorites. It could not be otherwise, since we associate it with family union, gifts, decorations, typical food and Christmas trees.
In Supercurioso we are true fans of this season and on other occasions we have told you about the Christmas origin and its most interesting curiosities. It is a joyful time, in which some universal customs coexist with others of a somewhat more local nature.
On this occasion, we want to tell you about a common custom in homes in northern Europe and North America, and that we have seen millions of times in christmas movies. Its diffusion has been such that its use extends to more regions every day. We talk about the tradition of socks at Christmas. Join us to meet her.
There are many Christmas traditions around the world that attract attention. Things like the traditional Christmas carols, Christmas bonus masses, and even some as curious as the traditional KFC chicken dinner, typical of Japanese Christmas food.
But, among them, today we want to talk to you about one of the sweetest, which hides behind it a charming legend. It is about the tradition of stockings at Christmas. Have you ever put them on your fireplace or on your Christmas tree? If you haven’t, perhaps after reading these lines you will be encouraged to inaugurate this custom as part of your family holiday dynamic.
1. The legend of the socks
According to the Christmas stocking tradition, at dawn on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus visits the homes of children who have behaved well and fills their socks with gifts. Surely more than once you have been able to see this tradition in a house, especially those with a fireplace.
But do you really know where this custom comes from? Although in reality it is a tradition more typical of the Anglo-Saxon culture and the countries of northern Europe, it is spreading more and more to the entire continent.
On one occasion we told you in detail about the Santa Claus origin story. And it is that the figure of the endearing old man with a white beard dressed in red who travels in a sleigh pulled by reindeer was inspired by San Nicolás de Bari (4th century).
It is said that in the town where the saint lived, there lived a noble Dutch widower who had made bad investments and had ended up ruining the family. However, there are other versions that say that after the death of his wife, the man was alienated and gave away all his money. In any case, the reality was that his poor daughters did not have a sufficient dowry to be able to marry, which was customary at the time.
It is here where San Nicolás de Bari appears on the scene again, the determining figure in the construction of the tradition of Christmas socks. It turns out that this man, despite being a priest, had been born into a rich family and when his parents died, he had inherited a great fortune. This one knew of the situation of the poor aristocrat and of the affliction that the girls felt for not being able to marry their suitors.
So, one day when he was passing by his house through the window he saw his daughters’ socks drying by the fireplace. Then He climbed to the top of the house and dropped a few gold coins down the chimney so carefully that they landed inside his socks..
The next morning the girls found the unexpected gift of “Santa Claus”, and in this way the daughters of the old nobleman were able to get married. And this is how from this moment the tradition of giving gifts to good children at Christmas and putting the socks in the fireplace began to spread.
One of the most distinctive elements of the Christmas stocking tradition is that they must be placed in the fireplace. Of course, modernity and the changes that urban spaces have undergone make this artifact less common in homes every day. For this reason, tradition has migrated and now they are also hung on Christmas trees. Nevertheless, the fact that originally they should go in the chimney, has an explanation.
In the first instance we find a practical utility. In ancient times, when modern appliances simply did not exist, socks and small items of clothing were hung over the fireplace, so they could dry in front of the fire. Then, Santa Claus, who entered houses through this route, could easily find them, depositing his gifts there.
The most curious thing about the tradition of Christmas socks is that it has not only remained part of the Anglo-Saxon culture, but has gradually spread, beginning to be used in different Latin countries.
Some families usually accompany the socks with cookies and milk to honor Santa Claus. There are also variants of this tradition, such as the one applied to French Christmas, where instead of socks they leave shoes under the Christmas tree to receive their gifts.
And you, Did you know the tradition of Christmas socks? Have you ever implemented it within your home? If not, would you like to start doing it this year? Leave us all your opinions in a comment. We will be happy to read you!
And if you want to add a little more inspiration to your parties, we invite you to enjoy this selection of the most beautiful phrases about christmasa time in which illusions and hope are reborn in the hearts of adults and children, reminding us that love between people is the greatest of our treasures.
If you are one of those who enjoy the Christmas spirit the most, you may be interested in knowing the following articles about Christmas and everything that surrounds it.