All over the world children of all ages enjoy the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings. The tradtion varies by country somewhat but most involve some sweet treats and maybe a small present.
In France the children place their shoes by the fireplace instead of using stocking. This custom goes back to when children wore wooden peasant shoes.
Today there are all kinds of stockings available but originally children just used their everyday stockings and waited patiently for them to be filled with treats on Christmas Eve.
In Holland the children fill their shoes with hay and a carrot for the horse of Sintirklass while Hungarian children shine their shoes before putting them near the door or a window sill.
In Italy children leave their shoes out the night before Epiphany, January 5, for La Befana the good witch. In Puerto Rico children place greens and flowers in little boxes that they place under their beds for the camels of the Three Kings.
I really enjoyed this post. I indulge in the tradition of stockings and have cross-stitched two stockings for each person in my family - one for their house and one for my house. The photo of the little shoes stuffed with gifts was precious!
My boys have the typical stocking at Christmas, but we also do slippers on the Feast of St.Nicholas.
They are filled with chocolate coins, an ornage, and a candy cane.
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