Typical British Stocking

[Bubbles1649264]

my BIL is bringing his GF (late 20s) to Christmas this year, and she loves Christmas. I am looking to make her a “typically British” stocking, what would you put in it?

Satsuma
chocolate coins
then you tip a few quality streets into it at the end to fill the gaps. Makes the stocking nice and fat 💪

You've never heard of getting coal for Christmas instead of presents if you've been naughty?

I seem to remember John Lewis do some amazing trouristy British Christmas tree decorations, so I’d probably put one of them in for her to take home for next year.

How have you had the time to do such an extensive survey, this thread only started yesterday? Please do let us know when you have covered Scotland.

I’m Welsh I thought it was a universal/UK thing!

I’ve never actually received /given a bag of coal (because I was always a good girl obviously) it was just the threat!

Just been googling and it seems
ubiquitous. Fortnum and mason have a lovely looking bag if you’re so inclined!

I’m cornish, and the threat of coal for bad behaviour rather than presents was definitely a thing. I’m only “northern” to people from the Scillies 😁

i made the mistake of telling my kids i’d seen sweetie-coal for sale in Fortnums, and now they are determined to behave badly before Christmas so they might get some. I’ve told them that’s not how it works, but it isn’t having the desired effect…

Essentials are :
chocolate orange
chocolate coins.
socks. The dafter the better.

After that depends on the size of the stocking. I'd go with:
Bath bomb
Mini bottle of prosecco or gin (find out if she drinks first)
Compact mirror
Notebook and pen, maybe with her initial on
Umbrella

You must include an apple and an orange(satsuma) in the toe and the heel of the stocking. A sugar mouse and chocolate coins. Pretty much everything else is optional but I would make sure there is something that represents the traditional stocking filler fun gift. A wind up spider or a tin of nuts that is actually full of those colourful springs.

The lump of coal threat was often used when I was small, but admittedly that was back in the Dark Ages and I never heard of it actually being carried out.

OTOH a DSis was living in Abu Dhabi decades ago, when ‘Sinter Klaas’ (SP?) actually arrived on a ship on IIRC 6th Dec for the Dutch expats - the trad date IIRC for him to come and give sweets to the children.

But apparently there is (or was) always someone else with him - a ‘Black Peter’* IIRC, who would take naughty children away.

DSis had 2 young children at the time, and was invited to see SK arrive at the harbour. Someone else had told her little DS had been told about this dodgy character so he was hiding nearly the whole time behind DSis - because he’d been a little sod all day. 😱 (shouldn’t laugh but 😂 anyway.)

*would be seen as very racist now, so whether it’s still a Thing I don’t know.

No that is still a thing. The Dutch insist it's not racist because he's black with soot, not black skinned.

A sugar mouse 🐁

We always had a walnut whip in our stocking, we still do.

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I've definitely heard of Black Peter and Krampus who would chase small children dressed up in chains etc. and the putting Boots outside your bedroom door for nuts and oranges on Dec 6th for St Nicholas

So many interesting Christmassy things

I'm going to hunt down some edible coal for my teen DC

That'll confuse them

We don't do 'stockings above the fireplace' as such they're more of an American thing.

But for a British stocking Id put in British treats like teabags, biscuits, crisps, British chocolates and sweets etc

Theres no such thing really... me and DH are both British and didn't really grow up with stockings.

For both of us stockings where mainly just decoration, MAYBE your selection box would be put in IF it fit but often was forgotten or didn't fit and was just stood near it.

From mumsnet I see everything from people using pillows to people putting in crazy expensive items (like £60 perfume and £100 diamond jewellery) to people who fill it with pants and toiletries or people who only do snack foods... theres clearly no one size 'British' way to do it.

Traditionally a stocking has to have coins as this is the origin story, however real coins have commonly been swapped for chocolate coins. For some reason an orange has become traditional too (either real fruit or chocolate orange) but other than that its a free for all really as to your personal family traditions.

Also a lump of coal in the stocking of bad kids is DEFINITELY a standard tradition not just in the UK but around the world.

They even make special charcoal sweets in some countries to be put in stockings.

That’s what they tell kids now but it’s not what the Dutch generally think. I’ve been to Sinter Klaas parades where the black Petes have been blacked up with fake dreads and Jamaican flags. It’s really racist.

I bet actual Jamaicans wouldn't think so
Like Mexicans dont take issue with speedy gonzaly

She is American, but lives in Hong Kong at the moment

Thanks for all the ideas, this is really helpful! The coal idea is really useful, my husband and BiL did actually get coal in their stockings some years! But I have found a “coal” bath bomb in lush that looks great!

A pack of cards or a mini game - they seem to have lots in supermarkets this year.

I’d do:
£1 in the very bottom
satsuma
chocolate coins
tube of sweets
fluffy socks
bath bomb
a Christmas bauble - if you’re anywhere near a tourist place then one with that name on
tea bags as a nod to something british
some sort of alcohol - can of G&T, small bottle of Prosecco.

😂😂😂

Ah yay I’m so pleased. 😀