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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-12-22, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1989. A history of the Christmas stocking One of the most beloved symbols of generosity at holiday-time is the Christmas stocking. From its ori­ gins in age-old legend to the present day, the stocking continues to have an important place in the tradition of gift-giving. While no one can say for certain, many people believe that the custom of stuffing Christmas stock­ ings began with an act of Saint Nicholas, the original Santa Claus. A bishop in Asia Minor in the fourth century A.D., Saint Nicholas is credited with many acts of kindness and generosity - acts by and large performed at night and in secret. Among these was the provision of dowries to three sisters who, because of their poverty, were unable to wed. To help each of these young ladies in turn, Saint Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the chimney of their home on three separate occasions. The bags fell into their stockings, which were hung out to dry - an accident of fate which was the starting point for a long-lasting custom. Eight centuries later, the custom of giving presents in the name of Saint Nicholas came into being, when French nuns began giving gifts to the children of poor families on December 5th, the Eve of Saint Nicholas’ Day. These gifts, left secretly for the children to enjoy, comprised the sorts of treats, such as nuts and exotic fruits, that during the rest of the year were beyond their means. The custom of giving presents such as these on Saint Nicholas’ Eve spread and took hold, particu­ larly in Belgium and the Nether­ lands. There, children traditionally left out their wooden shoes, filled with carrots and hay for Saint Nicholas’ horses, before they went to bed on Saint Nicholas’ Eve. When they awoke in the morning, they hoped to find their shoes filled not with fodder for horses, but with small toys and sweets. Children in other countries also left out shoes - not stockings - to be filled. In rural France, Christmas Eve is the big day; in the Basque region of Spain, in the shadow of the Pyrenees, the children wait till the Eve of Three Kings Day to set their shoes on the windowsill, in hopes that the traveling Magi will leave them a gift. Saint Nicholas, too, is a traveler, in a more figurative sense, for it is he who, by the early years of the 19th century, had crossed the Atlantic Ocean to America, becom­ ing Santa Claus along the way. Mention is made of Santa Claus in a newspaper articles as early as 1773 and, by 1810, when the New York Historical Society organized a Celebration of the Festival of Saint Nicholas, not only Santa Claus, but the stockings he traditionally filled, had become commonplace. It must be remembered, of course, that New York, once New Amsterdam, boasts Dutch roots. However, it was not a Dutchman, but a man of Scottish ancestry, Washington Irving, who really brought Santa Claus and his Christ­ mas stockings to the attention of the American public. In his History of New York, written under the pen name of Diedrich Knicherbocker, Irving Many events happened on Christmas December 25th is best known, of course, as Christmas - declared centuries ago as the day of Christ’s birth. But, while no one can say for certain if accuracy has kept pace with tradition, numerous other noteworthy events have in fact occurred on Christmas Day. In the year 800 A.D., Charle­ magne was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day. And, in 1066, another world-renowned lea­ der, William the Conqueror, fresh from his success at the Battle of Hastings, ascended the throne of England on December 25th. Crossing the Atlantic, in 1492, Christopher Columbus’s ship, the Santa Maria, landed on the island of Hispaniola, today occupied joint­ ly by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, on Christmas Eve. Columbus left a colony of his sailors behind and headed back to Spain, convinced he had found not a “new world’’ but a short cut to the Far East. One of the most famous occur­ rences of the American Revolution happened on Christmas evening in 1776, when George Washington and his troops crossed the Dela­ ware River from their encampment in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, into New Jersey. There was good reason for this — Washington rightly assumed that the Hessian troops employed by the British and ensconced across the river would be in the midst of celebrations and therefore less alert to forays by the revolutionary army. mentions not only Santa’s habit of “drawing forth magnificent pres­ ents and dropping them down the chimneys of the favorites,” but also how stockings hung on Christ­ mas Eve are * ‘found in the morning mysteriously filled.” It was left to Clement Clarke Moore, diffident author of A Visit from Saint Nicholas, to round out the picture, drawing a portrait of Santa Claus which has remained with us now for over 150 years, and confirming in the annals of Christ­ mas merriment the tradition of putting out stockings for Saint Nicholas to fill. Today, Christmas stockings are still “hung by the chimney with care,” though they are more likely to be bought or made for the purpose than simply one’s every­ day, homespun hose. Also, they are usually filled with gifts more exotic or sophisticated than the traditional oranges, apples and shiny coins - or even the lumps of coal, the customary reward of a child who has misbehaved. And not only the children, but mom, dad, even Rover and Mittens are likely to have one, making filling the family’s stockings an increasing challenge to creativity. To our many friends, neighbours and * I customers, we’d like to take this opportunity \ to thank everyone for their kindness and K generosity, Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and God Bless. CARL, LENA, RON, RUSS & BRENDA Nesbitt Construction Its Christmas! Joyous wishes to you and yours, as we express our appreciation for your very special friendship. Here’s to a magical night and a glorious holiday! Enjoy. Howard & Joan Bernard Bernard Fuels Brussels 887-6377 MCDONALD Brussels Home / hardware /887-6277