What is the tradition of Christmas Stockings?
Many cultures have a variation on the tradition of the Christmas Stocking. There a several explanations as where the tradition may have come from but the most popular one is this.
A poor man had three beautiful daughters but he had no money to provide them with a dowry, and he was worried what would happen to them after his death.
St. Nicholas was passing through the village and he heard the people talking about the girls . He wanted to help them, but he knew that their father would not accept charity so he decided to help in secret. That night he crept into their house down the chimney.
The girls had left their stockings to dry by the fire so he put a bag of gold in each stocking and off he went. When the girls and their father woke up the next morning, they found the bags of gold coins and were of course, overjoyed. The girls were able to get married and live happily ever after. And since this time children have left their stockings by the hearth on Christmas Eve for St. Nicholas to put gifts in.