What is your Christmas stocking?

[SayDoWhatNow]

Not what goes in it - what is it?

Growing up I always had a real sock. Something like an adult's knee length walking sock.

I started doing that for my DS, but was wondering if anyone else does this? Or is it much more common to have a specific red and white velvety thing?

I think I might ask my DMum to knit something custom for DS and DD next year, to keep the homely/traditional feel but be a bit less shonky!

Growing up it was a sock.

Now the kids have specially made ones (nothing expensive, they just have their names on).

Growing up we had dad’s army socks. I bought rugby socks for my children. And we also have some old over the knee ladies socks which eventually replaced dad’s army ones. I have a huge assortment as some years I’ve had lots to fill but they’re all wearing out now. They need to be in pairs so you can swap out the empty one for the filled one. I think it’s the prosaicness of the boring old sock which makes it so magical once it’s filled and rustling and lumpy.

Glad to see it's not just me who likes the ordinary sock stockings!

When my brother and I were wee we had the hand knitted socks (complete with holes) our dad wore with wellies. For my own dc I asked an elderly neighbour if she would knit them. She was pleased to do it and told me she hadn’t turned the heels so more would fit! They’re still going strong “kids” are now 23 and 26!

We do a real sock. DD is 19 and says she would never do a pretend sock/stocking for her kids when she has them.

As a kid I had my brother’s football sock. But now we all have proper stockings with our names on.

When I was a kid, ours were those big cream wool fisherman’s socks. I think they were originally ones that my dad used to get supplied with at work to wear with his wellies (he had to do a lot of outdoor stuff on-call for his job).

When I was growing up it was the legs of some of my mother’s thick tights. I’m poorer than we were then, so I’ve kept the tradition but it’s now the legs of some children’s thick tights. The best bit is that you get duplicates from one pair so can have one stocking hung by the fire and the identical one pre-stuffed ready. Revolutionised my Christmas Eves doing this.

I always had a sack with my name on. It was never full but some years it got to about half full.

Actual stockings. Not socks. Not pretend red fluffy stockings. Tan or black stockings or half a pair of tights. That's what I had, and that's what the kids have always had.

I always just had a pillow case, but there weren't more than one or two gifts specifically for it, it was mainly the smaller presents that others had got for me (labelled from them).

Dd has a small sack, smaller than a pillow case, and we buy things specifically for it that are from FC.

My leg.

Pillow cases

We had old ones from Woolworths growing up they’re like satin with a reindeer on and my sister had a Santa (and I actually found the same one from a charity shop last year which I use as decor now!!) but my Dh and my son have matching red ones with our initials on

Love hearing about all these different stockings!

DS has gone to bed with one of my thermal socks draped over the end of his bed 🎄

Same. We never had stockings, always a sack, it was rarely full, I guess it got less full as we got older.

I have done stockings with my dc, but as they have got older (and I keep misplacing the stockings) we have used various things, the past 2 years dd2 has had a wicker foraging basket 🤣. This year they have primark tote bags.

I’ve had the same stocking since my very first Christmas. It’s a red fuzzy one with a reindeer sticking out of the front pocket. It says Season Greetings on the front. My Great Aunt bought it for me and it’s still going strong.

I’ll never part with it.

This is the same reason why we do a real sock. They come in pairs! Kid takes one sock up to bed, parents take the other downstairs to stuff, the swap takes seconds.

Ours were like a PP's, brother's football sock. Obviously laundered but not exactly exciting or magical in any way.

I bought my DS a proper stocking from John Lewis when he was born, I've replaced the pom-poms along the top but we've used it every year. It meets my expectations of a lovely, Christmassy stocking, and not someone's sporting apparel with areas of wear at the heel.

It's my goal to make all the let-downs and disappointments of my own childhood Christmases be counteracted by significant improvements for my DS's experiences. <folds arms>

Growing up I had one made of felt with Christmassy motifs. My children now have knitted ones, one in red and white with robins and one all different colours with Christmas puds.

Same here.. usually American tan

What fits in a sock?

You can get loads in a sock. Trust me. Maybe don't pick your favourite sock, though.

Today we had a Clementine, a bag of chocolate coins, 3 toy vehicles, a pack of glow in the dark pens, a pack of reflectors / spoke charms for his bike, and a Lego comic rolled up. More would have fitted!