The History of the Christmas Stocking (and Why We Still Hang Them)
Every December, millions of homes hang empty socks by the fireplace and wait for them to be filled. It's one of the most charming Christmas traditions, and also one of the strangest when you stop to think about it. So where did the Christmas stocking come from?
The Legend of St Nicholas and the Gold Coins
The best-known story begins with St Nicholas, the fourth-century bishop of Myra who later inspired Santa Claus. As Smithsonian Magazine tells it, a widowed father of three daughters had no money for their dowries. Nicholas, wanting to help without being seen, slipped down the chimney at night and filled the girls' stockings, which were drying by the fire, with gold coins.
No one knows who first told the tale or when, but it gave us the idea of gifts appearing overnight in stockings by the hearth.
Why There's an Orange in the Toe
Many families still tuck an orange or clementine into the bottom of each stocking. There are two popular explanations. One is that oranges were once a rare winter luxury. The other is that they stand in for the gold coins, or gold balls, of the St Nicholas legend.
The Poem That Made It Famous
In 1823, the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", better known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", was published with the line every child knows: "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there." The poem is usually credited to Clement Clarke Moore, though some historians argue it was written by Henry Livingston Jr. Either way, it helped cement the stocking in American Christmas.
From Everyday Socks to Keepsakes
Early stockings were simply the family's own socks. Over the twentieth century they grew into the oversized, decorated, often personalized stockings we know today, many of them handmade and passed down through generations. The Christmas tree became the main stage for gifts, but the stocking kept its place as the first thing opened on Christmas morning.
How to Keep the Tradition Feeling Special
- Wrap every stocking stuffer. Even small gifts feel like treasure when each one is wrapped.
- Give each person their own paper. Matching prints make it easy to see whose gifts are whose.
- Keep the orange. It's a lovely nod to the legend, and children love knowing the story.
- Add one meaningful gift. A handwritten note or a family ornament makes the stocking a keepsake.
Looking for ideas to fill them? See our guide to luxury stocking stuffers under $25, and wrap each one in small, playful prints like Pinwheel Santa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the tradition of Christmas stockings come from?+
It is usually traced to a legend about St Nicholas, who secretly dropped gold coins into the stockings of three poor sisters as they dried by the fire.
Why do people put oranges in Christmas stockings?+
Oranges were once a rare winter treat, and they are also said to represent the gold coins or gold balls from the St Nicholas legend.
When did Christmas stockings become popular?+
Stockings were already part of the tradition by 1823, when "A Visit from St. Nicholas" described them hung by the chimney, and the poem helped make them a Christmas staple.
Who wrote "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care"?+
The line comes from "A Visit from St. Nicholas", published in 1823 and usually credited to Clement Clarke Moore, although some attribute it to Henry Livingston Jr.
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