What's in Your Stocking?
For some families, Christmas is an elegant and refined celebration. For my family, Christmas is a little… different. It’s not that we don’t want to act refined. We even have the china and crystal set on linen tablecloths to prove it. But we’re scattered from Louisiana to Georgia to Florida and now to Indiana and don’t see each other often. When we do get together, we sometimes become a little too connected to our inner children. A few of us, namely my sister Eileen and I, love to tease our siblings, which often leads to a more raucous than refined celebration of Christ’s birth. Stocking stuffing has become one of our quirky family traditions.
This tradition devolved over the past decades, when we decided that the stocking opening, which
often yielded staples like socks, chewing gum, and Chapstick, needed a little pizzazz. Or maybe the impetus was the Christmas that will live in infamy when my older sister and I, who butted heads constantly as teenagers, received super-sized onions in our stockings (what Santa used in the Byrnes household to express his displeasure since coal was unavailable). Some of the more spectacular stocking stuffings over the years include a gummy candy tongue, a toy reindeer that dropped brown jellybeans, and bacon bandaids. One year, we all tapped into the same wavelength and gave each other pickle ornaments.
Sometimes the desire to laugh spills over into the regular gift exchange among siblings. My sister Eileen and I especially like to give an additional odd gift to our older sister whose sense of humor, at times, is smaller than the Grinch’s pre-Christmas heart. Who knew an enormous bar of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate and a small tub of double-salted Dutch licorice weren’t funny!
What would you like to find in your stocking Christmas morning? What, if anything, are you tempted to put in someone else’s stocking for a laugh?
This tradition devolved over the past decades, when we decided that the stocking opening, which
often yielded staples like socks, chewing gum, and Chapstick, needed a little pizzazz. Or maybe the impetus was the Christmas that will live in infamy when my older sister and I, who butted heads constantly as teenagers, received super-sized onions in our stockings (what Santa used in the Byrnes household to express his displeasure since coal was unavailable). Some of the more spectacular stocking stuffings over the years include a gummy candy tongue, a toy reindeer that dropped brown jellybeans, and bacon bandaids. One year, we all tapped into the same wavelength and gave each other pickle ornaments.Sometimes the desire to laugh spills over into the regular gift exchange among siblings. My sister Eileen and I especially like to give an additional odd gift to our older sister whose sense of humor, at times, is smaller than the Grinch’s pre-Christmas heart. Who knew an enormous bar of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate and a small tub of double-salted Dutch licorice weren’t funny!
What would you like to find in your stocking Christmas morning? What, if anything, are you tempted to put in someone else’s stocking for a laugh?
Labels: Maureen Hardegree, stocking stuffing
posted by Mo H @ 7:04 AM
7 Comments:
I actually stuff my own stocking! I start buying small items early in the fall and drop them into the stocking, which hangs in the pantry. There's almost always a surprise in there because I have a horrible memory and forget most of the things I bought! I never put chocolate in, though. It gets stale!
Mo, your family's stocking stuffers sound like a lot of fun :-)!
The McLaughlins don't do stocking stuffers, but my daughter-in-law's family does. When they're here visiting during Christmas (every other year), we enjoy following their stocking "rules." No pickles, though :-).
Karen,
I admit to getting a few items for myself, too. Some Definity moisturizer and chocolate for sure!
Terry,
I spent part of the morning finding odd items and imagining the laughter that will ensue. Can't wait!!
There are very few people who know about double salt licorice from the Dutch. I love it as I am from the Netherlands and eat it like all get out... crazy hard on the kidneys and my weakness.
I love the stocking stuffers! I must get more creative with our stockings.
We aren't refined. We just enjoy it all... thanks for sharing!
Christine,
I knew there had to be a good reason this licorice was available. I prefer the regular licorice--yum!
Glad you enjoyed the stocking blog. I found some great stuffers on the internet--eggnogg gum and bacon flavored dental floss!
Oh, Karen, that's great! Stuff your own stocking! ha!
Love this blog and I love stockings!!! Especially stockings filled iwth gifts!
When we were little we used to ask for sardines and smoked oysters! How weird is that?!! :)
Now I prefer perfume and warm fuzzy socks! :)
Thanks, Mo, for sharing all of your fun stories with us.
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