Countdown to Christmas: Day 9

"And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care in the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there...."  It just wouldn't feel like Christmas without our Christmas stockings!

When I was a little girl my grandma made my brother and I our Christmas Stockings.  They were made out of Red felt with our names on them, mine had a girl snowman and my brother got a boy snowman.  They were embellished with sequins and little bits and pieces that little fingers could explore.  When I was young I was more concerned with what Santa was going to put in my sock than appreciating the detail work that went into the making of it.  You see no pattern was used, my Grandma did everything free hand using the tools at her disposal which was her imagination and her gift of creating magic with her hands.  I can't remember how young I was when she created those stockings, they were part of every Christmas as far back as I can remember.  I do remember that the year of my sister's first Christmas (my sister is 7 years my junior) my Grandma created a stocking just for her - it was similar to mine but unique to her.  Santa Claus continued to fill my stocking well into my adult years and I believe the my stocking was passed along to me the year that I had my son - the same year I created a special stocking for him.

I continued the tradition with the creation of my son's Christmas Stocking, but I did take a short cut by purchasing a plain stocking that I embellished.  I continued the tradition when my daughters came along.

Our stockings from 2009

Our stockings from 2007

The year I married my husband I remember that his Mom gave him a bunch of mementos from his childhood including some Christmas items.   Included in his Christmas items was his stocking from when he was a boy.  Imagine my surprise the first time he showed it to me - you see it was made by his Mom out of felt and was embellished in the same style as mine.  Both of our stockings have since been retired and replaced with new store bought versions.  Each Christmas they come out of the box and I show them to my kids and every year I tell them who made them and that they were Mommy's & Daddy's when they were just little kids.

Christmas morning 2009 - opening up the stockings (notice the movie playing in the background, which is another Christmas favorite)

Opening the stocking Christmas morning 2009

Our stockings are put away (we don't keep them out during the holidays as they are starting to fall apart), but later today or tomorrow I will get them out so that I can photograph them to share on this article.

Christmas is a day of many things.....but memories of past Christmas are always something to cherish, I am so thankful that I have the memories as well as the "tangible" reminders of the Christmas stockings.


Merry Christmas!