Christmas Stockings - Then and Now
By Carolee Dean - December 29, 2009
THEN
When I was a little girl we spent every Christmas with my grandparents in California. They didn't have a fireplace (Didn't need one -- it was sunny California after all). We also didn't have Christmas stockings. Instead of stockings, my grandmother put three of my grandfather's athletic socks on the back of the couch -- one for me and one for each of my brothers. On Christmas morning the socks would be filled with fruit; apples, bananas, and oranges. We didn't even get to eat the fruit. As soon as we "opened" our stockings (ur, um) socks, my grandmother snatched away the fruit and made a salad to go with Christmas dinner. I didn't mind, though. I was much more interested in the presents under the tree. I did love that fruit salad, though, especially when I covered it in whipped cream.
NOW
Now that I live in New Mexico it seems like everyone has a fireplace. It gets darn cold here. My mother-in-law lives in Texas, but she has a fireplace, too. She made beautiful embroidered stockings for each of my children when they were born and every year they hang on the mantle. One thing I hated about Christmas when I was young was having to wait for all of the grown ups to get out of bed. I decided that when I had children of my own I would do something about that. I created the Christmas Stocking Rule. As soon as my kids wake up they are allowed to open their stockings. Nothing else, just stockings. There is always cool stuff inside (and never any fruit), There is always a DVD for each of the kids. They set their alarm clocks for three in the morning, go get their stockings, and then watch movies. Then they go back to sleep and are zonked out until 9 a.m. which allows my husband and I and their grandparents to drink a cup of coffee and put the turkey in the oven.
Remember this-- if there is something about your family's traditions that you don't like, you get the chance to do it over your way when you have children of your own.
When I was a little girl we spent every Christmas with my grandparents in California. They didn't have a fireplace (Didn't need one -- it was sunny California after all). We also didn't have Christmas stockings. Instead of stockings, my grandmother put three of my grandfather's athletic socks on the back of the couch -- one for me and one for each of my brothers. On Christmas morning the socks would be filled with fruit; apples, bananas, and oranges. We didn't even get to eat the fruit. As soon as we "opened" our stockings (ur, um) socks, my grandmother snatched away the fruit and made a salad to go with Christmas dinner. I didn't mind, though. I was much more interested in the presents under the tree. I did love that fruit salad, though, especially when I covered it in whipped cream.
NOW
Now that I live in New Mexico it seems like everyone has a fireplace. It gets darn cold here. My mother-in-law lives in Texas, but she has a fireplace, too. She made beautiful embroidered stockings for each of my children when they were born and every year they hang on the mantle. One thing I hated about Christmas when I was young was having to wait for all of the grown ups to get out of bed. I decided that when I had children of my own I would do something about that. I created the Christmas Stocking Rule. As soon as my kids wake up they are allowed to open their stockings. Nothing else, just stockings. There is always cool stuff inside (and never any fruit), There is always a DVD for each of the kids. They set their alarm clocks for three in the morning, go get their stockings, and then watch movies. Then they go back to sleep and are zonked out until 9 a.m. which allows my husband and I and their grandparents to drink a cup of coffee and put the turkey in the oven.
Remember this-- if there is something about your family's traditions that you don't like, you get the chance to do it over your way when you have children of your own.
