History of Stockings at Christmas
Gifts in stockings at Christmas have been a bit of a tradition for many years. Many people think that it all started with Santa Claus and his elves, though this is not the case. The very first person to give gifts was Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas as he is known in other parts of the world, including England and Wales. He has even appeared on British banknotes!
Father Christmas would fill children's shoes with gifts and sweets and leave them by the fireplace so that they wouldn't notice him. The more modern tradition of leaving out stockings is thought to have originated with a story written by Washington Irving titled: 'Old Santeclaus with many delights'. In this story, Santa has a servant called Ruprecht who has to fill the stockings and lays them by the fireplace before he leaves.
There are many different theories behind where Father Christmas got his name from One is that he was originally called Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture; it is often thought that when Christianity became more popular in Europe people began worshipping Christ instead and named him 'Santa' after the Roman god.
Ideas of stocking stuffers for toddlers
Stuffing stockings with stuffers for toddlers should be easy. Just look through this list of toys that are toddler-appropriate to get ideas about what you want to put in. You can even find some great deals on them at places like Amazon where I got the bulk of the stuffed animals shown above. There is no limit to what you can put in a stocking, especially for a child. Some of the most popular stocking stuffers for toddlers are:
- Kid's Costume (this can include accessories, costumes, tutus, etc.)
- Toy Balls (Frisbees, basketballs, soccer balls, etc.)
- Candy and snacks
- Bath Toys (rubber duckies)
- Puzzles
Types of stocking stuffers for teenagers
Stuffing stockings with stuffers for teenagers is the easiest of all. This is because most teenage girls and boys are always on their phones or laptops so there's a bunch of great phone accessories you can buy to use as stocking stuffers such as:
- Cell Phone Cases (make sure they like something specific or it will be worthless)
- Phone Covers (decorated and plain colors available)
- Headphones and Earbuds (can get expensive so read the details and descriptions)
- Phone Chargers (now available with universal adapters too!)
Types of stocking stuffers for adults
Stuffing stockings with stuffers for adults is a little bit trickier than other stocking stuffers for men and women. This is because you're trying to find something that both, or maybe even everyone in the family, will like. That's why I like to put small things into stockings that people wouldn't normally buy but think are great.
If you know someone that enjoys baking then a few great stocking stuffers for adults are:
- Baking Mixes
- Cake Decorations
- Small Appliances (to make the baking even easier)
You can find great deals online on these items or you can make things yourself. You could also put some of your creations in their stockings! It's pretty easy to make homemade cake decorations.