The History of Stockings
The idea of hanging stockings out on Christmas Eve is believed to have come from Amsterdam, where children leave out their shoes on St. Nicholas's Eve in hopes that he will fill them with goodies.
But where did the people of Amsterdam get the idea? Perhaps from St. Nicholas himself.
One of the most popular stories surrounding the saint concerns his generosity to the three daughters of a poor family. It seems the daughters were of marriageable age, but could not marry because they had no dowry.
Nicholas heard of their plight and set out to help them. In the middle of the night, Nicholas threw bags of gold coins down the girls' chimney. The bags landed in the girls' stockings, which they had hung out to dry.
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