And The Stockings Were Hung


 by Margie Senechal

This week the Wranglers have been waxing holiday. We've covered songs, movies, presents...

I'm going with stockings because they're my favorite part of Christmas.

I come from a family that doesn't have a lot of generational traditions. The first nine years of my life were spent in four different states, and one foreign country, and never had a Christmas with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins. 

Christmas stockings became our tradition. They were always full of special surprises--canes filled with flavoring lip balms, Sweet Honesty, Juicy Fruit gum, and always a tangerine in the toe. 

When we girls got into our twenties and I had my daughters, my mom decided she didn't need to do our stockings anymore. The horror! What was Christmas without stockings? Sure, Mike and I did stockings, but--sorry, honey--in those early years, he was no mom when it came to the stocking stuffing. And my unmarried sisters didn't have anyone to stuff a stocking for them.

So sister Deb suggested that we draw names and exchange stockings. And our tradition was born. We made a $50 minimum so nobody felt cheated if their stocking was lacking.

We draw names in the spring or early summer, so we can gather presents through the year. As my daughters got older they graduated to the stocking exchange as well. We open the stockings before gifts, one person at a time. And we try not to get the same person each year and if you draw your child or husband, you draw again because you shouldn't have to do them twice.

My nephews are getting to the age where soon they'll get to decide when and if they want to jump into the stocking insanity. Their father opted out, never quite understanding our obsession. But, for us, it's tradition.

What's your favorite tradition? Like everyone else, I have a gift--possibly Snoopy related or stocking or--to send to a lucky commenter--I'll draw from the names on the blog and on FB as some friends only comment there.

Comments

  1. I love the stocking tradition! I wish we'd started that years ago.

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    1. I think it was the best idea Deb ever had. LOL

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  2. What a wonderful tradition (and I love that you have several months to fill it)! One if the traditions I didn't realize was a tradition until the kiddos mentioned it us the large plastic Santa head light we hang on the wall. Hubby bought it a few years ago to relive his childhood memories, and now it's a must-have for our decorations!

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    1. That's awesome! I guess that's how traditions are made :)

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  3. What a lovely tradition! I started giving stockings from "Santa" when my girls were little, and we're still doing it, even though they're adults! I enjoy buying little things to fill the stockings, and they enjoy getting them!

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    1. I love finding stuff for stockings. Definitely my favorite part of Christmas giving.

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  4. One of our favorite traditions has to do with our birthday celebrations. After dinner has been eaten and cake consumed, we get in the car and drive around looking at the Christmas lights:)

    We still do stockings, and our tradition is the Ding-Dong in the toe. Mom started this when my sister and I were little; it was something we were allowed to eat every Christmas morning in lieu of breakfast and it held us over until we arrived at Grandma's for lunch:)

    A couple of years ago, Mom forgot the Ding-Dongs, and my kids complained! Hubby and I stopped on the way home and bought the snacks at a gas station....and Mom never forgot to buy them again:)

    And yes, I put them in our own stockings....hubby always rolls his eyes, but thankfully goes along with it!

    I soooo remember Sweet Honesty and those flavored lip balms! We also used to get the 'books' of Lifesavers and the $5 McD's gift certificates:)

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  5. how cool - I want to institute a stocking tradition now!

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  6. My traditions are having Christmas stockings every Christmas eve, plus getting a wooden nutcracker for my youngest with specail needs, she just loves them and baking cookies with both girls.
    Penney

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