For many people who celebrate Christmas , the holiday is full of small traditions . Decorating the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and hanging light , wreaths andmistletoeare just a few of the seasonal visual clues that mark cold atmospheric condition and a possible sojourn fromSanta Claus .

Actually , the chances of Santa set down on your roof in hissleighare fairly in high spirits – the big gamble , though , is whether or not he stuff your Christmasstockingswith presents or a shiny clod of coal .

Hanging stocking over the chimney is an intact part of Christmas , and these oversized stocking are reserved for smaller gift like confect and military action figures . But why do we attend stockings anyway , and how did the tradition pop ?

Although most res publica have their own variations on Santa , the sure-enough point of reference to St. Nicholas goes as far back as the third one C . The ancient town of Myra , located in what is now modern Turkey , is home to a shrine dedicated to Bishop Nicholas . Over several centuries , tales go around detailing the benefaction and generosity of Bishop Nicholas , and this is where the estimation of St. Nick as gift - giver began [ source : BSU ] .

One of the stories , it turn out , imply Nicholas pass by the home of maidens too poor to afford adowry– money that a St. Bridget give to her groom for their wedding . The bishop would throw away gold coins down the chimneys of these maidens , where they would strike into stockings , which were hung over the flaming to dry .

Dutch children take part in another tradition – one that may have directly work the North American practice of hang stockings . The children leave wooden shoes out by the fireplace , which are fill with hay for Sinterklaas ’s horse ( the Dutch variation of Santa Claus not only has a different name , but a dissimilar mood of transportation ) . Santa replaces the hay with gifts , and it ’s think that Americans adjust this tradition sometime in the early 19th one C [ source : BSU ] .

So n­ow that you screw why some people fall stockings for Christmas , have you ever enquire how Santa actually gets down the chimney in the first place ? What if you do n’t have a chimney ? Fortunately , we have what we think is the most logical account , so observe the link to find out howSanta rise down the lamp chimney .

For more Christmas - related article , see the next page .

Lots More Information

relate HowStuffWorks Articles

More Great Links

Source

Swartz , B.K.“The origin of American Christmas myth and usance . " http://www.bsu.edu/web/01bkswartz/xmaspub.html