This St. Nick Stocking Hanger is 9½ inches tall including the hanger hook. St. Nick is standing with a red bird on a patch of snow on top of a 3 inch diameter dark antique red base. He is wearing an antique red and white Santa hat, long antique red and white coat with gold trim and black boots with white cuffs. He has a sack of toys and gifts over his shoulder and a tree in his other arm shoulder. Select this link to view our Christmas Stocking Holders.
What are Christmas Stockings?
Christmas stockings originated in Germany, and involve hanging an empty sock or sock shaped bag on Christmas Eve for Santa to fill with special small gifts. These small items are often referred to as stocking stuffers. In some cases the contents of the stocking might be the only gifts a child will receive for Christmas. Stockings are hung at the foot of the child’s bed, on the fireplace mantle or sometimes lined around the base of the Christmas tree. Select this link to view our Christmas Tree Skirt.
The types of gifts usually placed in the stocking include, a piece of favorite food, fruit or treat, small toys or doll, bubble bath or cologne, crayons, coloring books.
Originally, children used one of their everyday socks, but today stores carry a tremendous variety of styles and sizes of Christmas stockings, from small and conservative, to long and stretchy, to gigantic.
Many families create their own Christmas stockings with each family member's name applied so that Santa will not be confused about which stocking belongs to which family member. Select this link to view our Santa Suits.
The Legend of Saint Nikolaus
In German speaking countries and Holland and Belgium as well, December 6th is the most distinctive children's festival of the year. St. Nikolaus Eve is a time of festive stir, it is a time of whispers and giggles, and of heavy steps on the stairs. Shops are full of many shaped biscuits, gilt gingerbreads, sugar images, toys and other little gifts.
It is not easy to uncover the historic facts about Saintt Nikolaus, the fourth century Greek bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, who died on December 6th, 343. In Eastern Europe, Southern Italy and among the Greeks, he is revered most of all as the patron saint of seafaring men.
In many regions, the festivities originally attributed to the gift giving St. Nikolaus have been transferred to Christmas, yet in Western and Southern Germany, in Austria, Switzerland, and the Low Countries, December 6 remains a day of joy for children.
When evening comes, St. Nikolaus, a reverend grey haired figure with flowing beard, will knock on doors and enquire about the behavior of the children. The custom of examining the children, where they will deliver a verse, sing, or otherwise show their skills, is still widespread in some countries. Select this link to view our Christmas Stockings.
St. Nikolaus traditions vary as widely from region to region as his guise and name. He appears as Ruhklas, Pelznickel, Klasbur, etc. He is afoot or astride a white horse, a mule, or even a goat.
St. Nikolaus also appears together with St. Peter, an angel, and the Christ child. As the splendor of the candle lit Christmas tree and emphasis on the birth of Christ, began to shift the function of the gift giving St. Nikolaus, Knecht Ruprecht became the servant and companion of the Christchild. In this role Ruprecht became the patron saint of Christmas and was called "Weihnachtsmann," literally Christmas Man, Father Christmas or Santa Claus. Select this link to view our Santa Claus Hats.