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The story of christmas
stockings
The stockings
were hung by the
chimney with
care
In hopes that
Saint Nicholas
soon would be
there"
There was a
kindly nobleman
whose wife had
died of an
illness leaving
the nobleman and
his three
daughters in
despair. After
losing all his
money in useless
and bad
inventions the
family had to
move into a
peasant's
cottage, where
the daughters
did their own
cooking, sewing
and cleaning.
When it came
time for the
daughters to
marry, the
father became
even more
depressed as his
daughters could
not marry
without dowries,
money and
property given
to the new
husband's
family.
One night after
the daughters
had washed out
their clothing
they hung their
stockings over
the fireplace to
dry. That night
Saint Nicholas,
knowing the
despair of the
father, stopped
by the
nobleman's
house. Looking
in the window
Saint Nicholas
saw that the
family had gone
to bed. He also
noticed the
daughters
stockings.
Inspiration
struck Saint
Nicholas and he
took three small
bags of gold
from his pouch
and threw them
one by one down
the chimney and
they landed in
the stockings.
The next morning
when the
daughters awoke
they found their
stockings
contained enough
gold for them to
get married. The
nobleman was
able to see his
three daughters
marry and he
lived a long and
happy life.
Children all
over the world
continue the
tradition of
hanging
Christmas
stockings. In
some countries
children have
similar customs,
in France the
children place
their shoes by
the fireplace, a
tradition dating
back to when
children wore
wooden peasant
shoes.
In Holland the
children fill
their shoes with
hay and a carrot
for the horse of
Sintirklass. In
Hungary children
shine their
shoes before
putting them
near the door or
a window sill.
Italian children
leave their
shoes out the
night before
Epiphany,
January 5, for
La Befana the
good witch. And
in Puerto Rico
children put
greens and
flowers in small
boxes and place
them under their
beds for the
camels of the
Three Kings.
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