Holiday Traditions: Stockings

Yes, I know it is September; however, when you have as many brothers and sisters as I do, make some or all gifts yourself, try not to break the bank for Christmas presents, or all three.....then you learn to start thinking about Christmas early!!!! However, let me say right now that this in no way affects my ability to savor and enjoy Thanksgiving!!!!! It is my absolute favorite holiday, but more on that later! Today we are talking about Christmas stockings!!

The stocking my great-grandmother made for me.

Each family has their own holiday traditions. As far as stockings are concerned, I have been told that what David's family does is what is traditional: everyone has a stocking hung on the fireplace filled with candy and money. This was a bit of a foreign concept to me at first (though I do like it). We used to travel a lot on holidays, and one year my mother forgot the stockings. Ever since we have been decorating grocery sacks with markers and crayons every Christmas eve! It is a neat tradition. It also worked out very well for my mother because she traditionally stuffs stockings with a couple pieces of candy and a bunch of little things she knows you need: nail clippers, pencils, notepads, socks, aftershave, thank you cards, and one year even underwear (that never happened again by the way!!!).

Jessica's First Christmas

Our families of origin have many different ways of doing things, and we have made a habit over the years of trying to blend the two into something new. We are just beginning to develop some Christmas traditions of our own since prior to we just went back "home." We decided that our family would use real homemade stockings, but that we would stuff them with some edibles and some small things that we know the person will need. Last year, Jessica's stocking was stuffed with apples and socks. This year she will probably get a piece or two of candy, some fruit, and maybe more socks!

The finished product!

We only have one stocking that my great-grandmother made for me when I was a baby out of granny squares, so I decided to make us some more! I kept trying to make the granny squares look like hers, but they never looked quite right. I asked several people, and my sister finally said that it looked like it had just gotten squished over the years! I made 13 granny squares and crocheted them together. It looks obviously newer, but I am quite pleased with it! Now I just need to make some more! (I think I have enough yarn to make enough stockings for an army!!)