Christmas Stockings (Reading)

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CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS 

The Christmas stocking is one of the most popular Christmas symbols in the United States. A Christmas stocking can be a real stocking or sock, but it is often a specially made and decorated sock shape that would only fit on a giant’s foot. Each person in the family (or sometimes each child) has one Christmas stocking; they may use the same stockings every year. The stockings are hung up before Christmas, often by the fireplace. The stocking is then filled with many different treats and gifts, usually at night on Christmas Eve. It is enjoyed on Christmas Day. Some people say that Santa Claus fills the stocking. Different families have different traditions about what goes in the stocking, although coins, chocolate, and fruit—especially oranges—are common.

There are several different legends, or traditional stories, of how the Christmas stocking became part of our Christmas celebration. One of the most popular legends is of a nobleman whose wife had died, leaving him to raise their three daughters. He had lost all of his money, and so had nothing to give his daughters as a dowry, or money or property so that they could marry.

One night, the daughters hung their stockings on the fireplace to dry. The next morning, St. Nicholas had filled their stockings with gold.

Many people believe that Dutch people brought the tradition of the Christmas stocking to America. Children in Holland would leave their wooden clogs filled with straw for the reindeer on Christmas Eve. Santa would replace the straw with treats for the children to find on Christmas morning.


 Answer the following questions about the text:
1. Christmas stockings are ______.
 a. usually real socks
b. in pairs, like socks
c. often large and decorated
d. a tradition from ancient Rome

2. What is one possible origin of the tradition of Christmas stockings?
a. Girls who didn’t have dowries had their stockings filled.
b. Stockings were used to decorate houses in Germany.
c. Reindeer like to eat socks.
d. A giant stayed the night in the house over the holidays.

3. Which of the following is a similarity between the Dutch tradition and the modern-day Christmas stocking?
a. Both involve feeding reindeer.
 b. Both involve small gifts in footwear.
c. Both are only for children.
 d. Both involve stockings.

4. Which items are mentioned as being popular stocking stuffers?
a. coins, chocolate, and fruit
b. candles, toy cars, and CDs
c. pencils, calculators, and jewelry
d. books, cameras, and video games

5. Do you have a Christmas stocking? If so, what does it look like? If not, what sort of stocking do you think you might like?

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