Ever wonder why exactly there are Santa-sized socks hanging above your fire place this time of year. Keep reading!
The practice of stocking-stuffing can be traced back to the charitable donations of Saint Nicholas in the 4th century. He believed that childhood should be enjoyed, but at a time when boys and girls younger than 10 were working to support their families, this wasn’t the case. He therefore handed out homemade food, clothes, furniture, and even oranges (which were very rare in Lycia where he lived), just to light a few smiles.
According to legend, on one of his first ventures, he came across a girl’s stockings hanging above the fireplace and for some reason decided that it was THE place to put her gifts. From then on in, children would hang up stockings in hopes that Saint Nick would pay them a visit that night.