Christmas

Merry Christmas Wishes
From 101lifeStyle.com

Christmas Stockings:

A Christmas stocking is an empty sock or sock-shaped bag that children in the United States and some other cultures hang on Christmas Eve so that Santa Claus can fill it with small toys, candy, fruit, coins, or other small gifts when he arrives. These small items are often referred to as stocking stuffers or stocking fillers. In some Christmas stories, the contents of the Christmas Stocking are the only toys the child receives at Christmas from Santa Claus. Other presents are wrapped up in wrapping paper. Tradition in western culture dictates that a child who behaves badly during the year will receive only a piece of coal.

By tradition, the stocking is hung on the fireplace mantel, but, since many contemporary homes do not have fireplaces, stockings may be hung in almost any location.

The tradition started up in Germany. One traditional practice is to reserve the stocking for five gifts that stimulate each of the five senses, for example.

1. Something to eat, like fruit or candy.
2. A toy or other item that makes a noise (this can even include nuts to crack).
3. An item that is visually pleasing in any way like jewelry, cuff-links or a coloring book.
4. Something that has tactile appeal such as modeling clay, a soft toy, lingerie or a pair of novelty Christmas socks.
5. Any item with a distinctive scent such as bubble-bath, cologne, perfume, etc.

Originally, children simply used one of their everyday socks, but eventually special Christmas stockings were created for this purpose. Today, stores carry a tremendous variety of styles and sizes of Christmas stockings, from small and conservative, to long and stretchy, to gigantic.

Many families create their own Christmas stockings with each family member's name applied to the stocking so that Santa (or the family members) aren't confused about which stocking belongs to which family member.

History Of Christmas Stocking:

Once there was a father with three beautiful daughters. Although the daughters were kind and strong, the father despaired of them ever making good marriages, because he didn't have enough money to pay their dowries.

One day, St. Nicholas of Myra was passing through their village and heard the locals discussing the plight of these poor girls. St Nicholas knew the father would be too proud to accept an outright gift. So he waited till dark, snuck to the man's house, and dropped three bags of gold coins down the chimney.

The daughters had spent the evening washing clothes, and had hung their stockings by the fireplace to dry. The gold coins dropped into the stockings, one bag for each daughter. In the morning, they awoke to find enough money to make them each a generous dowry, and all married well and happily.

As word of St. Nicholas' generosity spread, others began to hang their stockings by the fireplace, hoping for a similar gift.

Homemade Stocking Stuffers For Kids:

1.Doll clothes
2.Paper aeroplanes
3.Personalized playing cards
4.Play dough
5.Colouring Book
6.Activity book
7.Homemade soap in animal shapes
8.Paper dolls
9.Puzzles
10.Candy.

Stocking Stuffers For Adults:

1. Homemade soap in various scents and shapes
2. Tub Tea
3. Eye masque
3. Wine Charms
4. Coasters
5. Return address labels
6. Personalized stationery
7. Coupon book, or individual coupons
8. Candles
9. Truffles
10. Toffee bark
11. Peppermint bark
12. Chocolate coated spoons
13. Chocolate dipped pretzels
14. Chocolate dipped crackers and cookies
15. Bags of tasty nuts
16. Canned jars of yummy jam
17. An orange, tangerine, or similar piece of fruit
18. Christmas tree ornaments
19. A personalized flip calendar
20. Perfume samples
21. Lipstick samples
22. A knitted or crocheted scarf
23. A crossword book
24. A homemade cookbook or set of recipe cards .