STOCKING FILLER
We know that, by 1823, hanging stockings was common practice, as the act was mentioned in the poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas (which starts “’Twas the night before Christmas”), but exactly when and why it began remains a mystery. One story goes that Old St Nick, on hearing the plight of a poor family, popped a few gold coins into some socks that were drying by their fire – a miracle others hoped would be repeated.