I never was totally aware of this, because it had been such a tradition in my household, but my mom was a real fan of ‘stocking stuffers’. Since I still live there, this continued into my adulthood.
Now before you start giving me wierd looks, the contents were always age-appropriate. And she even puts together a stocking for her boyfriend’s son, who is two years older than me. Since she’s done it my whole life, I still really enjoy it (although I am curious how long she is going to continue to do this).
So last year I got a stocking with an issue of Heavy Metal magazine, a little MLA guidebook for editing papers, a tire gauge, some pocky, altoids, and cologne. Every year its the same general model- magazine, little book/novel, candy, and miscellaneous toiletries. Its a nice ritual and since she continues to keep it age-appropriate I really enjoy the little things/candy to munch on while waiting for everyone to wake up on Christmas day
We do this. When I was a little kid, we children were the only ones who got stockings. Somewhere around middle school age, we decided Dad and Mom needed them, too, and we’ve done that ever since. My Mom and Dad buy stuff for each other’s stockings now as well.
After I got married we added one for my husband. Now that we have kids we do two rounds of stockings. One for everyone in our immediate family on Christmas morning and another one later in the day when we go up to visit Grandma and Grandpa (who politely find something else to do while “Santa” brings their stocking stuffers in from the car.)
Always. I even have TWO stockings. Mr. Athena’s mother makes lovely stockings, and gives them to us. Even the dog has a wonderful handmade stocking. I don’t think it would be Christmas without stockings!
Sometimes but not always. Ours were generally 80% chocolate candies with maybe one or two smallish presents. A cassette tape when I was 12 is the only specific stocking gift I can remember for sure though.
We do to. We have Christmas day with just the immediate family (we must be the lepers…we see the rest of the mob on Boxing day). The immediate family is my mum, dad (seperated for 5 yrs but not at xmas ), my brother, the child and me.
A few years ago we decided that the adults would buy for one family member plus the child (spoilt rotten I tell ya!). The rule was we each spent $100 on one person. It has evolved into $100 on one person, a wee little something for everyone else…and the child gets shitloads.
While I love buying the big thing (this year I got to buy for mum) I also really love being creative with the stocking stuffers. Roll on Saturday!
Everyone who is at my house on Christmas morning gets a stocking, even the animals. I even fill one up for myself!!! Usually they have Chapstick, chocolate bars, nuts, hard candy and some small gifts like gloves, pocket calendars, Pez dispensers, etc as appropriate. In some ways it is even more fun than the packages. In the Santa Mythos at my house, Santa only leaves serious gifts for children, adults just get what’s in their stockings.
When I feel like it my stocking has the best stuff in it, as presents from me to me.
Mom loves giving my brother and I stocking stuffers every year. We’re both in our 30s now. We’re having Christmas at my house this year for the first time, and the other day on the phone she was fretting that she didn’t have stocking stuffers yet. I told her it was really ok, that it would be kind of silly to bring the stockings with her from Maryland, but I won’t be surprised if she shows up with stuffed stockings on Saturday!
I just learned about Pocky yesterday! The co-worker who told me about it says he can sometimes find it at the local grocery store, but if I have no luck the next time I’m there I’m going to order some on line.
My mom still does stocking stuffers for me and my husband. We’re 33 and 34, respectively. It just tickles me pink, let me tell you. Mom remembers my favorite candies and always makes sure I get some, as well as fruit and sometimes a small item – could be anything.
I, in turn, do the stockings for everyone in my family except myself. I always get my husband his favorite foods – roasted salted peanuts, miniature Heath bars, stuff like that. Sometimes he fills my stocking, sometimes he doesn’t. If he fills it, he’ll usually buy one thing, like a package of oreos, to put in there.
I go completely nuts on the kids’ stockings. They get everything from candy (and I try to find something really cool, like chocolate in the shape of flowers or bees or something) to small, useful items like pencil sharpeners, to a small toy – like a mini Playmobil or Lego set. And, of course, the de rigeur fruit. I really enjoy coming up with stocking stuffers, and I love it when I have a stocking of my own to “open” too.
We do stockings too. This year the boys are gettng digital watches, new hair brushes with their initial engraved on it, candy, some other stuff I forget.
I never got stocking stuffers as a kid. We got lots of presents, but they were all wrapped and under the tree, even batteries for the toys we got.
Now that I’ve joined Ardred’s family, we get stocking stuffers, which often add up to more than I get total from my family. There’s usually a DVD or two, some kitchen stuff, mints and gum, candy, pint glasses, an orange (for the toe of course), maybe a tshirt or a gift card to a bookstore.
We (my family, my dad’s parents, and his brother’s family) do stockings. Everybody gets a stocking which generally is stuffed with a number of things from each of the aforementioned three parties. There is usually some snack food and always an orange; other than that it’s just random little stuff.
I still make stockings for my kids they are 21 and 23, they love it. My Daughter does a stocking for me. This year the will get some kids toys from http://www.ustoy.com/cgi-bin/ustoy_cgi.sh/WService=ustoy/ustoy.com/novelty/default.htm
a book, a nice pen, Altoids, a lighter, Chocolate covered cherries, and jerky.
Every year I change the items in the stockings, but it is always toys and some chocolate, plus other items as I find them
Wow, that’s awesome! For some reason, I had always thought of stocking stuffers as a ‘kid’ thing that my mom just kept continuing to do (being one of those ‘mom’ moms that sometimes refuses to accept my brother and I have grown past age 10 ) but it is really cool that so many families do it well into adulthood.
Stockings are a great way to give mundane little gifts that might seem wierd wrapped in a package (edible stuff). Also, as awkward as it is to receive really racy comic books from your mom, it is very sweet to know she cares enough to think of it.
I have stockings for my son and husband. But instead of filling them with stuff for Christmas day. I’ll put one thing in them, several times, a couple of weeks before Christmas. Then not say anything about it. It’s funny to see them check out the stockings when they think no one is looking.
Christmas before last, we were staying in a hotel while visiting relatives. We packed together in one suitcase. I smuggled my wife’s stocking, along with the appropriate stuffers - I’ll never tell how - and hung it over the TV at the foot of the bed in the middle of the night Christmas Eve.
Hillbilly Queen, that’s too cool, and will be replicated in our household next year. I’m thinking a lump of coal put in her stocking weeks in advance will transmogrify into something special on Christmas Eve.
My mother always did stocking stuffers. It’s one thing that I’ll miss, not being able to make it home this year.
A couple of years ago, when we were all home (me, 3 brothers and 1 sister in law), we all got Legos in our stockings, cars with motors that you wound by pulling the car back. Well, despite everying being 20- or 30-something, they got put together and we had a morning of lego car racing. I’ve still got that car in one of the boxes from my move earlier this year.
When we were little, it was about stuff to keep us occupied until Mom & Dad were ready to open presents. Now it’s just little stuff that Mom thinks we need or that she finds amusing, like the Legos.
Now that I have a daughter, and she is old enough to enjoy it, I am starting the tradition of stuffing stockings. An orange in the toe will be mandatory. I have little stuff I got just for this. Now, if only hubby has not hid it permanently.
), my brother, the child and me.
Roll on Saturday!
) but it is really cool that so many families do it well into adulthood.