Much ado about stockings...

MissDemeanor

What do you normally do with Christmas stockings? If you have them at all that is.

Growing up ours were filled with small inexpensive things like chocolates, little toys, socks, new toiletries, etc. and a candy cane at the top and an orange in the toe.

But boyfriend grew up were every thing in it was wrapped, and included pricier items. CD's, books, gift cards, etc. I think when I fill jus it costs me at least $100 a year but I don't want him to be disappointed. To be fair he usually puts some great stuff in mine, like earrings, etc.

And we were allowed to open ours as soon as we woke up. But with his family you wait until everyone is there.

No real reason I'm asking, I just like hearing about other peoples holiday traditions. And I'm starting to think more about creating our own traditions, with LO one the way

ramfan05

Growing up, our stockings would have little toys and candy in them. Just small things. When my brother and I would wake up, we'd go get my mom and she would take us to open our stockings while we waited for my dad. 

DH didn't have a stocking as a kid

Now, we fill each other's stockings with little, inexpensive things we think the other would like. I got a bunch of little toys for DS's stocking, and some candy.

lihau88

Growing up my mom always filled our stockings with silly toys, candy, socks, a few practical things, but mostly fun and silly things with candy. We would wake up with them on our beds on Christmas morning and my sister and I would open them as soon as we woke up. Then we'd show each other what we got.

After stockings, we would have a big family breakfast followed by opening presents from under the tree as a family. I absolutely loved this tradition. For the last 7 years DH and I just filled each other's stockings in almost the same way. A few silly things, some practical things, but always inexpensive. We don't really exchange gifts. He never did this growing up, in fact they didn't really exchange gifts much either. So for him, Christmas is no big deal and doesn't excite him. But I told him that next Christmas that all has to change now that we'll have a LO. I'm very excited to start traditions with her as a family so that she'll have awesome memories like I do.

Edited for stupid auto correct.

Rosie137

Being one of five kids, growing up we always had small inexpensive things in there, unwrapped of course. Mostly candies or little dollar store type things, I was more than happy with what we got. I do the same for my kids, small snacks and candy, stickers, crayons, nothing expensive at all. I think I spent about $15 between the two of them to fill theirs this year. I used to do one for dh when I was working and it was just us.

dunvilles

DH and I both fill each other's stockings & DS's with inexpensive items (candy, toiletries, new undies, ornament etc) but we also put 2-3 more expensive items in the stocking as well (cd, gift card, gadget etc)

We wait until everyone is up and together (we have our fireplace going, coffee brewed, Christmas music) and then we sit down together and open our stockings.

New Tradition: We're going to wrap each person's gifts (DH, Mine, and both boys) in a different wrapping paper. For example: all my gifts might be in sparkly paper, DS1 in striped paper, DS 2 in Santa paper, and DH in Reindeer Paper etc. No one will know which paper is for them (except DH & I) until after they open their stocking on Christmas Morning. In the bottom of the stocking will be a small piece of their type of paper. I'm hoping this prevents snooping and looking in boxes but I also think it'll add to the anticipation!

keags5496

We did some practical toiletries and some toys/candy. When we got older there were usually little $5 gift cards to places (Burger King, D&D, etc).

We had to wait until everyone was up to open them and we all opened them together on my parent's bed. I was the oldest but I was usually the idiot bouncing around at 4 am trying to wake up my brother and sister.

MamaAllison

When we were young Santa brought our stockings upstairs to the end of our hallway and we got to open them as soon as we woke up (so usually around 3 am!) they were filled with small toys and stuff to keep us busy. We then had to go feed our animals ( farm kid), then we would go back upstairs and back into our PJs to race down the stairs to open all the presents, followed by a big family breakfast. Oh, and the night before Christmas we always got PJs and a book!

shellbell3845

Our stockings are always filled with a mix of fun and practical things. My mom still does them. She's famous for buying way too many stocking stuffers, so we always get our stocking along with a plastic grocery bag full. We do them after we open all the other gifts.

Before we were together, DH hadn't had a stocking since he stopped believing in Santa. He loves stockings now.

LetoileDuNord

Stockings were the only presents we opened on Christmas, instead of Christmas Eve in my family. They were always unwrapped gifts, and normally a mix of candy, inexpensive things and at least one pricier gift.

We would all open them together. If one of the kids woke up first, they would run and wake up the other kids. I remember that it was always very exciting!

My mom still fills stocking for us (and now DH too) every year.

queeniecrayon

Our stockings were the only things we could open before my folks got up (my brother was a notorious 4 am riser on Christmas and would wake me up). There was usually a movie in at least one of our stockings so we had something to watch, small toys, candy, underwear or socks, and other little things to keep us busy.

I love filling stockings almost more than the big gifts. I usually do one or two decent little gifts (a cd etc) and then yummy treats

ziggy903

My family did things different from everyone.
For a week before Christmas, "santas elves" would bring you something small, unwrapped, and put it in your stocking at night. Usually things like candy, occasionally something like a chapter book or some legos. The elves would only fill your stocking if you were good... I don't think we were ever "not good" though.
On Christmas Eve, it would always be something big and for all of the kids to share- like a movie or a board game.
There was nothing in your stocking on Christmas morning. Santa came instead of his elves!

We're planning on continuing this tradition with LO and any other kids we may have.

jenniejuniper1

Our Christmas stockings were usually reserved for small, fun things. When I was a kid, it was chocolate, stickers, little toys, hair barrettes, stuff like that. When I was a pre-teen and teenager, it was stuff like funky lip balm, nail polish, and even the occasional mini-bottle of booze, lol! (I have a pretty cool/hilarious stepdad.) 

ras26

dunvilles said:

New Tradition: We're going to wrap each person's gifts (DH, Mine, and both boys) in a different wrapping paper. For example: all my gifts might be in sparkly paper, DS1 in striped paper, DS 2 in Santa paper, and DH in Reindeer Paper etc. No one will know which paper is for them (except DH & I) until after they open their stocking on Christmas Morning. In the bottom of the stocking will be a small piece of their type of paper. I'm hoping this prevents snooping and looking in boxes but I also think it'll add to the anticipation!

Just an FYI, my mom had to go to extreme lengths to conceal whose presents were whose because if there were anything like you suggest, if we found out one, we knew them all.  She seriously had to develop a code so she could put them in generic boxes and label them without getting them mixed up.  My poor mom.

Rbfdac1

Our stockings were (and still are!) filled with things like gift cards, makeup, perfume, gloves, earrings, lotions, etc- all unwrapped and stuffed in super tight. When my sister and I were younger they also included a little beanie baby or small stuffed animal, a yo yo, or another small toy.
We were always allowed to open our stockings before any other gift and parents did not have to be around when we did.
Most of the time we would get up around 4 am and run and grab our stockings and take them back to our rooms and unload them. We would then pack them back up and open them again when our parents got up so they could watch us. I don't ever recall anything edible in them...
At 26 years old, I still get to open my stocking as soon as I get to their house (along with DH and the SKids). I love it!

notreal2

Ours were always wrapped and had small, inexpensive cool treats like cds, fancy lotion, lip smackers, and books in them.  Never any food, but we didn't open them until New Year's day, so that's probably why.

cbear47

Like some (most?) our stockings were filled with a citrus fruit in the toe, candy, small toys/trinkets, maybe one "special" gift, toothbrush, socks, hat/gloves, etc.

We were allowed to "open" our stockings to pass the time until our parents were up and breakfast was eaten. Then we could move on to presents!

Also, Santa's presents were never wrapped. We always were out of town for Christmas Day, "lucky" that Santa was able to get our presents early, and never cared he didn't have time to wrap them.

cattuccino

TyrannosaurusLex said:

@bluedot818 omg sticker earrings!

Moons and stars and hearts!!! I LOVED those!!! I can't believe I forgot about them....(though to be honest - when magnetic earrings came out, clip ons and sticker earrings had no hope...)

btrebus

We usually had a little bit of candy and some oranges and apples in ours growing up, along with small things like stickers or chapstick.

For my SS, I usually do a little bit of candy, a new toothbrush and some little things like matchbox cars or awkward small things I don't feel like wrapping. This year he has a couple disney infinity figurines in his and the little power discs. I still need to get him a couple things.

I usually do DH's stocking with candy and stuff like razors/new blade cartridges, and some aftershave or lotions.

DH usually does mine with some chocolate and a few little things. I'm not a snooper, but I know I have reese's peanut butter cups in mine right now. I can smell them across the room, in the stocking. 

MissDemeanor

@btrebus gotta love that pregnancy nose!

@bluedot818 I forgot about the ornament too! I always put one in my boyfriends stocking, but he never cares  

LibbyVille

Growing up, our presents from Santa were not wrapped. We would each have our own pile in the living room. Our stockings were filled with candy and little toys, nothing pricey. My parents would give us each a present or two and those were wrapped and under the tree. We would have to wait to go downstairs together as a family. Usually, we did stockings after presents and then we would have a nice breakfast. We've done the same routine with DD the past 2 years.

kt_arr

My parents used our stockings as distractions until they woke up. As kids we mainly got small toys and candy. Now my parents will but practical toiletries, candy, and little $1 lottery scratch off cards. 

My DH is lame and doesn't really care for this tradition. Before we moved to Hawaii this year, we lived in Tennessee and would drive to Pennsylvania to stay with my family. We'd open our stockings the night before we left for the road trip. Last year he forgot to do mine   Our stockings went missing from our move, so we won't be having them this year.

JackieP1023

Our Christmas was a little different than most. Santa came to our house while we were at midnight mass on Christmas Eve. We never did Christmas morning traditions-growing up on a dairy farm, my dad would have missed everything! Our stockings always had just candy in them. Usually they were filled-overflowing, and mounded in a big pile on the coffee table. We all had to share the candy. We would come running in after church, see all the gifts sprawled all over the living room floor, and we'd have to get our pjs on. We always took turns opening gifts, so it lasted longer, and everyone could see what everyone else got. Christmas Day, we just got to play with our things.

Since I've been with DH, we have done the stockings Christmas Eve, and gifts on Christmas Day. Of course, it has just been the two of us, so we will see how this changes with a LO! This year, we are skipping stockings (for the most part), so we may choose 1 gift to open Christmas Eve instead.