Christmas Stockings - A Family Tradition

 

Every family seems to have its own traditions for the holidays. Some go to midnight services on Christmas Eve and celebrate when they come home. Some don't put up their Christmas tree till Christmas Eve after the kids have gone to bed. Some open presents on Christmas morning; others open them on Christmas Eve. Lin's mother-in-law, Lucy, is Italian and prepares a huge Seven Fish Feast on Christmas Eve. Traditionally, we open our presents on Christmas morning, but it's the filled stockings, not the presents, that get the most attention. Yes, we are traditional stocking stuffer aficionados.

Tradition has it that on one Christmas Eve St. Nicholas overheard that a poor family needed help, but would accept no charity. So he secretly tossed some gold balls into their stockings which were drying by the hearth. A happy ending to that story and the word spread and, well, you know the rest.

In our family, we stuff each others stockings to give Santa a break. I stuff Lin's stocking and she stuffs mine. We both work at stuffing stockings for as many people as we expect on Christmas morning. We have had a wide variety of Christmas stockings over the years. I've determined that the best ones are those that stretch. Though it's definitely more difficult for the person filling, it's much more satisfactory for the receiver, e.g. me. There are rules about stocking stuffing. First, no big orange in the toe like Mom used to do … that's cheating ... although reading more about the history of the Christmas stocking, the orange is symbolic of those gold balls, so I guess it would be okay in a pinch. (I'm sure Mom never did it for the symbolism.) Coal is allowed if it's warranted … that naughty or nice thing is at play here. Come to think of it, sometimes we tend to reward naughty … but that's another story.

So back to the rules … all items must be wrapped with care and tied with ribbon. The stocking must be filled to overflowing … extra items can be laid on the side of the stocking, if necessary. We usually add a fancy stocking topper that's suited to the individual stocking owner and can be used as a Christmas ornament in subsequent years. The actual contents of the little gift boxes and treats is really inconsequential. It's the anticipation of unwrapping so many tiny little packets that's the fun part. Lin and I always work to surprise each other … in one way or another. There's a tin of inedible veggie pate that's traveled from continent to continent for over a decade as sister stocking stuffers.

Everyone who's present Christmas morning gets a stocking, including our pets. I can remember a huge family Christmas which involved nearly 20+ filled Christmas stockings. Now, those were the good old days ... although I must admit filling that many stockings was a challenge. I relied heavily on Santa that year.

This Christmas Eve, I'll fill just Lin's stocking and my mom's. David is back in Oz where our usual stockings are packed in a plastic bin on the forward bunk. I'm hoping that Santa doesn't forget him.

The 2013 Holiday Newsletter

 

For the past 13 years sailing and living aboard Nine of Cups, we have always done a holiday newsletter highlighting the year in review. Click the image below for the 2013 Holiday Letter and enjoy. Thanks for coming along on our adventures this past year. We wish you a bright and magic holiday season and happy, healthy and most prosperous 2014.

Christmas Shopping

 

We haven't shopped for Christmas gifts in years. Being on a sailboat and in faraway places for the holidays has many advantages. Though it may be a double-edged sword at times because we miss our family, we certainly don't miss shopping for gifts. We send money electronically to our kids and grandkids … one size, one color fits all … and that's it. It's done.

Every once in awhile when we planned on coming back to the States for the holidays, we've done theme gifts. In Panama, we bought hats for everyone. One year we brought tagua from Ecuador. From Tonga, we sent carved bone and shell jewelry. Everyone got something and we called it a day.

On the boat, I bake a dozen mini-banana breads, wrap them in cellophane and tie a red ribbon around them. David might use some old line to make an ocean plait rug or two for special friends. We deliver them on Christmas morning. You'd never expect to do more nor receive more. We give each other tiny gifts … a token rather than anything expensive. David buys me a cute little ornament and he gets a new fish hook or something. It's the thought that counts and the sailing budget always takes precedence.

Not this year though. We're here and that niggling little shopping bug keeps stressing us out. What are we going to get for Suzie? What about Sam? Should we buy for Joe? How about Nick's girlfriend? Bea's personal caretaker has been great … maybe something for her? All those little incidentals and other people to buy for. We're just not used to even thinking about it.

We've eliminated some of the stress by agreeing with Lin and family not to buy for each other. Even so, the buy list seems long. The tradition between sisters is to trade Christmas stockings filled with goodies … more about that later … but no big gifts. Instead of oodles of huge gifts, we buy oodles of tiny gifts that fit into and must fill a stocking.

Stepping into WalMart recently was a nightmare. The parking lot was jammed. I was only there to buy vitamins and cat food, not to Christmas shop in earnest. Other shoppers had different plans in mind, however, and the lines were long and tedious. I left the vits and cat food behind. I think I'm not a good shopper any more and we've already established the fact that patience is not one of my virtues.

I'm buying stuff on-line just to avoid the in-store experience. I'm already tired of Christmas tunes that blare while I'm trying to pick out new underwear. Our experience at Kohl's the other day was other worldly. I'm sure the aisles and display counters were neat and appealing when the store opened, but by the time we arrived, it was sheer bedlam. The Black Friday sale prices were great and we each picked out a couple of things, but the place was chock-a-block full of loonies pushing and shoving and buying way too much stuff.

Lucky for us, a kind jewelry counter clerk offered to check us out without a wait because standing in the line that trailed along the entire inside perimeter of the store was just not in the cards for us. I now have two gifts purchased. We'll see what else develops. I need to get back on Amazon.