Ah yes – that cosy feeling as you relax next to the fireplace sipping on some tea and enjoying your favourite cookies, while gazing at those lovely Christmas stockings, thinking back to the carefree moments when Santa rewarded you for being a good boy or girl.

Good times, indeed!

The tradition of Christmas stockings hanging by the fireplace is, to this day, among the most popular customs observed in the Christian world. However, the fireplace isn’t the only spot where people put up Christmas stockings as people have gotten creative by hanging them up on bedposts, windowsills or doorknobs.

With that said, have you ever wondered: “Where did Christmas stockings originate?” or “Why do we hang stockings for Christmas?”

Well, if you’re even a teeny weeny bit curious, then it’s time to get cosy again, and grab some tea and cookies, because we’re discussing just that in this article.

The tradition of Christmas Stockings – How did it all start?

Although there’s no single account that has gone down in history books so as to why do we hang stockings for Christmas, there are certainly legends that point to how the tradition of Christmas stockings started.

Christmas stockings history dates back to 280 AD, when a kind and noble man named Nicholas was born in Asia Minor. It’s actually the generous actions of the nobleman which helps answer the question where did Christmas stockings originate to quite a degree.

Nicholas was a humble and kind man who followed a way of life as defined by the Prophet Jesus. He believed in sharing his wealth with suffering and impoverished people who were far less privileged than he was. Known for his soft demeanor and kind nature, he was named the Bishop of Myra in his young years, and became well known as someone with a heart of gold.

He practiced a life of celibacy, and even though he never got married or knew what it was like to father children of his own, he loved all children nevertheless. He would often regale those from his hometown and this practice made him known as the “Gift-giver of Myra”. Being the humble man that he was, Nicholas was also very modest and always left gifts for the lucky recipients late at night in order to conceal his identity. He just didn’t want the children to know who was providing these wonderful gifts, which is why they were told to tuck themselves in early or otherwise, they wouldn’t get any gifts!

Where did Christmas Stockings Originate, really?

However, this legend of the Christmas stocking is just one of the few that people tend to recall when it comes to the tradition of Christmas stockings.

Another such legend takes us back to a small village where the fate of a wealthy merchant and his daughters was overturned unexpectedly when they fell into poverty. The merchant was quite worried about his daughters’ future and that he might not be able to offer dowries for the marriages. During that era, being unable to do this was generally shunned upon and a source of humiliation, as marriage out of wedlock was not even a thing.

However, this story still talks about the kind and humble Nicholas who was now famously known as St. Nicholas, as he travelled frequently. During one of his travels as he was passing through the very same village, he came to know of the merchant’s unfortunate fate. The locals even told him that the merchant had refused to accept any charity or gifts to help him make ends meet.

Many argue that this is the true legend when it comes to Christmas stockings history, for as St. Nicholas was riding his white horse, he secretly stopped by the merchant’s house and discretely threw three bags of gold coins down the chimney. The merchant and his daughters were absolutely overjoyed the next morning – with the young women getting married off happily and living an honourable and prosperous life thereafter.

Today, many children all across the globe anxiously await the tubby white-bearded fella to drop gifts in the stockings – and it’s always good to know how the tradition of Christmas stockings started.