Do you remember hanging your stocking on Christmas Eve when you were a child. I certainly do.Once we were in our warm flannel pajamas and ready to retire where we would toss and turn for a while in anticipation of a visit from Santa, Mom would bring out our stockings for us to hang. These weren't fancy stockings like the children have today. My sister's and mine were a long white stocking that we wore. Mom would take them out of our drawer and we would hang them from our bedpost. My brother would hang one of Dad's wool socks...the grey ones with the white and red ring at the top...the kind they make sock monkeys out of today.
We weren't allowed to open any presents or our stockings on Christmas morning until our parents were up. We could enjoy playing with any gift that was from Santa, as they were never wrapped, just placed with loving care under the tree. There was never much. Just a present or two...nothing like the bundles of gifts that children of today find beneath the tree.
But back to the stockings. Once Mom and Dad were up, we would open our stockings. Inside we would find an apple, an orange, nuts and some hard candy, which Dad called "hard tack." They came in a variety of colors but the center was always white with a little flower in it. There might also be a candy cane. There were never toys or games in our stockings; only treats.
Today's children miss out on so much. Christmas was special to me and my siblings. That was the time of year we enjoyed things that we didn't get the rest of the year.
What did you get in your Christmas stocking when you were young? I'd be interested in how many others miss the simple treats that our stockings held when we were kids.
When I was growing up in the 70's my parents didn't have alot of money but they made sure we had simple things to open, none of the expensive toys other kids had but things they knew we would actually use.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sweet And innocent.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas.
we had a 'fireplace' that my dad made out of corrigated cardboard and hung our stockings on it...usually we got a tangerine and some nuts and candy in them...it was such a special treat and it brings tears to my eyes remembering it....sweet memories. Blessings Mary
ReplyDeleteI too miss the good ole days! When life was so much simpler! I remember hanging my grandmothers stockings, that would stretch to the floor! The would have fruit, nuts and hard candy in them as well. What sweet memories!
ReplyDeleteI got the exact same thing in my stocking! I also got a tangerine and a couple of chocolate drop candies. No toys and we could only play with Santa gifts till parents were up. Those were the best Chrsitmas memories. I did the same with my girls but they do things different with their children.
ReplyDeleteWell, it was the only time of year we had an orange. we had apples from trees but never the perfect ones that came in the stocking. The nuts were exotic, too, not just pecans and peanuts which grew nearby. Our stocking was one of Mother's and we didn't have a fireplace so it laid on the sofa with our name written on a piece of paper nearby. We only got a couple of gifts and they were from Santa and never wrapped but we couldn't play with them until Mother and Daddy got up.
ReplyDeleteMama Bear
We do stockings now, but not back then. We were more or less a one gift per sort of family. it's okay. I survived intact. :)
ReplyDeleteI miss those days.....I feel our young generation is really truly missing out on the simple things......wonderful memories for us.
ReplyDeleteJerri
I can still smell the stockings... The apple and orange and chocolate and hard tack..... That is what Grand mom called it also........ The mixture of nuts and candy and fruit carried a fragrance all its own...... I miss those days.... I really miss those days........
ReplyDeleteSending you a hug for this cold winter night!
Mary...Mary? What happened to your followers? Did you take it down from your sidebar? I didn't see your new post in my reader...I won't know now when you make a new post. :o(
ReplyDeleteI loved this memory you shared. We didn't have much on Christmas...never did. It was more family getting together that big presents and all...we did have stockings tho, up until we turned 6 and I remember mine always filled with oranges pencils crayons and candy...things like that.
Excellent post.
I posted about the new La Befana today.
I enjoy stocking stuff and stuffing stockings. :) A lot!
ReplyDeleteChristmas back then-seems like it meant more. Loved reading this-and being reminded of days gone by.
ReplyDeleteHi again...
ReplyDeleteJust testing getting your page to load to see if the Followers is making my browser crash. :o)
Hi, loved reading your post of your Christmas memories. I don't know why, but I can't remember much of Christmases when I was a child. I don't remember doing stockings. I do remember having the mixed nuts sitting in bowls and the chocolate drop cookies in Mom's milk glass candy dish.
ReplyDelete