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What is a Christmas Stocking in your house?

78 replies

00100001 · 21/09/2020 14:48

Inspired by the tatless stocking filler thread. It appears people mean different things/shapes/sizes when referring to a stocking.

In our house, it's a large knitted festive sock, around 30cm high. You could technically wear it. Like the picture. You could never get the suggested sticking fillers if book/DVDs etc in them. You might be able to get a tub of pringles...but not much else!


What do stockings look like in your house?

What is a Christmas Stocking in your house?
OP posts:
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BlenheimOrange · 21/09/2020 14:52

Similar. But you could squish a slim paperback in. Only trouble is that non-tat presents are pricey, a book is a proper present here!

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00100001 · 21/09/2020 14:53

My friend's idea of a stocking is this kind of size

What is a Christmas Stocking in your house?
OP posts:
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TheBoots · 21/09/2020 14:53

We're (my family) the same as you OP, but for my DH's family a stocking is a massive sack of gifts...this has caused endless confusion every Christmas (you'd think we'd have solved this by now, but no) and what I consider to be an obscene amount of gifts for my DD from the ILs.
Drives me batty.

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BlueJay99 · 21/09/2020 14:55

My DC's stocking looks similar to your friends but is personalised with their name.

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Angel2702 · 21/09/2020 14:57

Ours are a bit bigger than that but huge. Their main presents are in a sack downstairs.

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occa · 21/09/2020 15:02

I use a cut up pair of tights. The DC love it because it's all lumpy and they think it's exciting to see the shape of the presents. They usually get 10-12 (small) stocking presents each.

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MurrayTheMonk · 21/09/2020 15:02

Pair of tights. Both legs= good year financially. One leg = not so good Smile

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HoxtonBonnet · 21/09/2020 15:03

Ours are about that size in length, a bit wider but less stretchy. Made of felt and bought from Habitat years ago.

I fill our stockings with small gifts but I don't really do 'novelty' items as they seem like such a waste. Nice lip balm, body spray, chocs, earphones (mine are teens), books etc go in them. The stocking presents are the presents from Santa and the bigger ones under the tree are from family - this is our tradition!

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TinyMetalBirds · 21/09/2020 15:07

@occa

I use a cut up pair of tights. The DC love it because it's all lumpy and they think it's exciting to see the shape of the presents. They usually get 10-12 (small) stocking presents each.

Amazing! So do we, and I have never seen anyone else who uses proper tights apart from my sisters and cousins , and on this thread there are two already! It's amazing what you can fit in a stretchy American tan.
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Khajit · 21/09/2020 15:10

Ours are about the same length but wider. You can fit a DVD or slim paperback in, but only just.

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VirginiaWolverine · 21/09/2020 15:13

When I was a child, we used hiking socks. With my children, we use bigger, shop- bought Christmas stockings. I have a photo with book for size comparison.

What is a Christmas Stocking in your house?
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Runnerduck34 · 21/09/2020 15:16

Every family is different, my dc have a father Christmas sack slightly larger than a pillow case. DH and I have stretchy knitted stockings like the ones in the photo you posted, because they are knotted you can stretch them to fit a book in .
I did try and get my teenage dc to swap for smaller stockings but they are having none of it !
I do spend quite a bit filling them with decent useful gifts like books, bath bombs etc when they were younger one decent toy ,£30 ish, from their letter to father Christmas also went in the sack which is left at the end of the bed.

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PaulinePetrovaPosey · 21/09/2020 15:17

Tights here too! DM has been known to refer to them as father Christmas's varicose veins.

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SittingontheSidelines · 21/09/2020 15:28

Biggest size ruby socks. So have pair to do the swap. Different colours so they each have their own colour. You can get loads in including a not too thick paper back. I also have some random light weight wool stockings which I inherited from my mum who used to fill them for us once dad's army socks had worn out. These get used for visitors. But yes it's essential that you can see and feel the lumps and bumps.

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piglet81 · 21/09/2020 16:05

A ski sock! Handy as Father Christmas can fill the other one downstairs and just switch them over after bedtime, instead of having to stuff the stocking in situ.

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flowersun2 · 21/09/2020 16:11

@piglet81

A ski sock! Handy as Father Christmas can fill the other one downstairs and just switch them over after bedtime, instead of having to stuff the stocking in situ.

Same here! Still do them for all boys and girlfriends ( and my eldest is
31!!!). I think they only worked out the sock subterfuge a couple of years ago!
Stuff them full of British chocolate (we live in France so it's exciting ), cans of haggis, Irn Bru, toiletries, little gadgets. A tangerine in the toe. Must have chocolate coins.
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SpnBaby1967 · 21/09/2020 16:55

Just a bog standard felt Stocking from The Range (although DD8 stocking fell apart last year so needs replacing). But we only put a few token bits into them.

All main presents are in a slap dash pile under the tree. Usually I hand them out, one to each child which they unwrap together. It's fun searching the pile for a present for each child. And it means they all open together and at the same speed.

This year I'm going to get DD11 to hand them out now shes a big girl Grin

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mbosnz · 21/09/2020 16:59

Christmas sack slightly larger than a pillow case here. When I was a kid, I thought I was the bees knees when Mum got me a pillow case with Father Christmas on it, for my santa sack!

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Paddingtonthebear · 21/09/2020 17:09

Sack a similar size to a pillow case here. I bought a personalised Xmas themed one we use each year but when I was a kid we had actual pillowcases

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princessbear80 · 21/09/2020 17:14

Ours are just regular pillowcases. And never full! Probably 8-10 small presents, plus chocolate coins and a satsuma.

I keep thinking I might ‘upgrade’ to proper Christmas stockings, but pillowcases are what we had when I was little, so I like the tradition.

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NoWordForFluffy · 21/09/2020 17:25

For me, a sack is a sack and a stocking a stocking!

The kids have stockings which are about 12 inches high and then have a sack for their main presents. They're purpose-made stockings from an eBay seller.

I'm way too literal, I couldn't call a sack a stocking! Xmas Grin

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Pollaidh · 21/09/2020 17:33

Ski socks... sometimes they've been worn all day if I've forgotten to set some aside.

Chocolate coins, 1 other choc or sweet thing, clementine, nuts, small gifts like paperbacks, small game, toiletries. Maybe 1 little tat thing. Probably 6-8 things (and often have to be taken on a plane so small).

Main presents and presents from wider family go under the tree.

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XiCi · 21/09/2020 17:49

For me, a sack is a sack and a stocking a stocking! Exactly! And a pillow case is a pillow case Grin. When we were little my mum used her own fishnet stockings stuffed with little presents Smile We loved the feel of them rustling against our toes as we woke up on Xmas morning!
Dd has the usual bog standard felt stocking for all her little gifts. She then has a big sack from us and another sack from Santa.

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user1019273703 · 21/09/2020 17:57

My little girls is made out of the clothes from her first christmas with her name stitched on

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Changethetoner · 21/09/2020 18:01

Old Rugby sock. Fortunately DH's old team was red/white so it is suitably festive.

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