In the article below we find the Christian origin of the use of stockings. This particular St. Nicholas legend is interesting because the Moon (an ancient Pagan symbol) is still referenced in the story, although a more modern theory would be that it is possible evidence of alien involvement in the shaping of our society.
Use of Christmas Stocking
Christmas stocking have come down to us from the good St. Nicholas, who was a saint of the fourth century of the Christian Era and was born December 6, 342, in Lycia, Asia Minor.
He was regarded as especially the patron saint of children, young girls, and sailors.
The Christmas stocking custom arose as follows:
It seems that St. Nicholas, who was the archbishop of Myra, lived in the same town with an impoverished nobleman who because he had no portions to give his daughters, and indeed no means with which to support them, was about to sell them into a life of sin.
St. Nicholas, who was accustomed to dispense his large fortune in gifts of charity, resolved to rescue the young women. As he approached their house wondering how he should proceed, the moon shone out and displayed an open window.
Instantly St. Nicholas threw a purse of gold in at the window which, falling at the feet of the father of the girls, enabled him to portion his oldest daughter.
The second time St. Nicholas visited the house he also was able to throw a purse of gold through an open window, thus providing for the portion of the second daughter.
On the third visit the father, watching for his benefactor, cast himself at the feet of the saint and cried:
“Oh, St. Nicholas, servant of God, why seek to hide thyself?”
The saint made the father promise not to reveal his benefactions.
From this habit of bestowing gifts in secret and under the cloak of night arose the practice of putting out shoes or stockings for the younger members of the family, so that the good saint would be able to fill them without being spied on.
At one time it was the custom for young women pupils in convents on the eve of Saint Nicholas to hang their new silk stockings on the door of the apartment of the abbess. They would also write notes calling the attention of the good St. Nicholas to their stockings.
In the morning when the convent pupils who had not gone home for the holidays arose they invariably found their stockings filled with sweetmeats.
Source: Newark leader. [Newark, Ohio], 17 Dec. 1920.
