Without Googling

[Florence Fennel]

I'm not sure about "greedy" Brengirl, twas Santa decided what could be afforded in our house, not the children and there were 8 of us, so we never got to write a list!

[Jeanied]

Do you know, I have a good answer for you, Brengirl! The stocking was hung at the end of the bed to keep over-excited young 'uns occupied in their bedrooms a bit longer on Christmas morning!!! A very good scheme too! Mine was always an old army sock.
The main pressies were under the tree for later!

[Brengirl]

Do you know, I have a good answer for you, Brengirl! The stocking was hung at the end of the bed to keep over-excited young 'uns occupied in their bedrooms a bit longer on Christmas morning!!! A very good scheme too! Mine was always an old army sock.
The main pressies were under the tree for later!

Very true Jeanied but we are departing from my objective. Why a stocking?
Flum has provided an answer but it is still to be completely resolved.

[Florence Fennel]

Mmmm, yes, why not a pair?

[Brengirl]

Tell you what Florence. Shall we google it?

[Jeanied]

Well the google answer says that St Nick put the gold coins in the stockings that the three girls had washed out and hung up to dry overnight. Makes sense to me...

[Florence Fennel]

Tell you what Florence. Shall we google it?

I will if you will, but I think Jeanie got there first. Is there a prize?

[Florence Fennel]

Well the google answer says that St Nick put the gold coins in the stockings that the three girls had washed out and hung up to dry overnight. Makes sense to me...

Three pairs? That's an awful lot of stockings and strikes me as a bit greedy don't you think? Mind you, I suppose if they didn't expect to find anything in them the next day it wouldn't have been their motive would it? I wonder if they were knitted?

[Pumpkin Becki]

Well the google answer says that St Nick put the gold coins in the stockings that the three girls had washed out and hung up to dry overnight. Makes sense to me...

I was gonna say 'because they dry best in front of the fire'. You beat me to it Jeanie

[binley100]

I must have been a very greedy child, my presents always came in a pillowcase........

[Nicos]

That's MY job!!!!

...nope- I'm going to resist!!!

...apparently...from my very anient recollections... a rich person threw money in through the window of a needy, kind family and the money landed in the daughters' stockings???

[binley100]

Throw money through my daughters windows and it'd get lost in the pile of carp that's all over the floor........

[basketcase]

Traditionally it was a shoe or slipper. St Nicholas was a bishop if my memory hasn't completely done a runner, and heard 3 young girls talking about the fact that were so destitute that they might, to use the modern parlance, have to go 'on the game' to stay alive. He passed by their cottage and threw some money down the chimney as an anonymous gift and it landed in their shoes by the fireside, saving them from a fate worse than death (taxes?)

So we hang up shoes or stockings by the fireside to collect any gift thrown there by a passing generous bishop. Or Santa.

Thought it was in their stockings and that he actually threw in a golden ball for each girl. Which is why pawnbrokers (of whom - amongst others - St Nick is Patron Saint) have 3 balls...

[zazen999]

I must have been a very greedy child, my presents always came in a pillowcase........

No - you just have huge feet.

[Headfry]

so...without google..and relying on my stupid brain...
Was it something to do with a goodly person throwing gold coins into peoples houses- one day some landed in a young girls stocking that were drying by the fire.
Hence gifts in stockings... ???