When you were a kid, what did you get in your Christmas stocking every year?
By wiccania
@wiccania (3360)
United States
November 30, 2007 11:18pm CST
There were usually some "random" items in my stocking when I was a kid, but every year I would get: an apple, an orange, some nuts, hershey's kisses, one of those lifesavers books, a candy cane and money (equal to my age, ie: 12 years old $12 dollars).
Apart from that, there would often be small toys, a pez dispenser, when I got a little older there was rose perfume or little make up things. These days there's always a pez dispenser at the very least (I collect them).
So what did you get in your stocking every year?
9 people like this
17 responses
@littlefranciscan (18327)
• United States
2 Dec 07
We didnt hang stockings they ..we simply had a christmas tree..and usually there was one or two new gifts for each child..some times three..I think it all depends on your culture as to whether you hung stockings or not.
4 people like this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
1 Dec 07
I got the lifesaver book (OMG, I loved these when I was a kid! :)), a candy cane, a candy necklace, and some other little things I cannot seem to remember (it was so long ago, after all :P LOL).
You mean to say you had a stocking when you were 12? Do you still hang one up now? I think the last one I got was when I was 8 or 9. It was definitely before my parents divorced.
Hmm, I wonder if stores still have those lifesaver books. I haven't seen any in years!
2 people like this
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
1 Dec 07
OMG! Lifesaver books are awesome! I got one once when I was small too.
They do still make them, but they're usually only sold in discount stores and such...so unless you're hard on your luck financially you won't always see them, lol.
2 people like this
@wiccania (3360)
• United States
1 Dec 07
I usually see those lifesaver books in the grocery store during the holidays. I got one a few years ago but it was kind of different from what I remembered. Still fun to have though.
If I go home for Christmas, my mom puts up a stocking for me and fills it still. My sisters, too. Along with stockings for OUR kids. When I'm not back there for Christmas, i still hang a stocking for myself but I don't fill it. I remember when I was 17 or 18, I bought a bunch of stuff and stayed up late and stuffed my mom and step-dad's stockings with a bunch of dollar store toys and their favorite candy and a bunch of scratch off lottery tickets. My mom said she was surprised when she got up early and went to fill my sister's stocking and mine.
1 person likes this
@cutepenguin (6430)
• Canada
1 Dec 07
I got things like books, hair accessories, a CD, and some other stuff.
2 people like this
@rebelann (117244)
• El Paso, Texas
31 Oct 19
Mom didn't put stocking up for us but she did like to wrap each item so that it looked like we were getting a lot. We always knew which presents had underwear or socks in them cuz she'd always give those to us and we always got whatever clothes we needed for school.
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
1 Dec 07
I kinda wish we'd done stockings, when I was younger, really. I mean, so what if we didn't have a fireplace? We coulda tacked 'em to the wall, and at least then the candy laying in front of the tree would've been more organized..instead of just randomly laying around, lol. Being tempting in the wee hours of the morningk, before Mom and Dad woke up.
Candy and goodies that would normally go in stockings are still strewn about randomly on christmas morning for the family, heh.
Ah well...goodies are goodies, right?
Anywa, there would always be chocolate gold coins, blueberry flavored candy canes, and Pez..with maybe a few VERY small toys...like marbels, or toy cars the SIZES of marbles.
What was worse was, we couldn't even eat the candy before they woke up lol. We could only play with the non-wrapped presents from Santa lol, and the small toys there for us.
Which was kinda torture sometimes, because there were a ton of other presents just sitting there in their pretty wrapping.
Plus...growing up, we neither had the internet or cable...so it's not like we had anything els to occupy ourselves with on christmas morning *laughs at the memories*
If I ever have kids...or I "adopt" people when I move out, I will have stockings, I think ^_^
2 people like this

@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
2 Dec 07
*nods* I don't think tacks would work, now that I think about it, lol.
Aww, I'm slightly jealous then heh. My parents were adamant on the "no candy for breakfast" rule, even on christmas...didn't help my Mom's knowledgeable on nutrition and drilled it into us very young.
Dang those life lessons from parents.
But cool. That gives me an idea, I thinks. I think I'll steal socks from each of them and putting them in front of the tree on christmas, filled with goodies. A kind of..surprise, seeing as we've never done that before ^_^
They're not stockings, but they're closest to what the original stockings were, I guess lol.
@wiccania (3360)
• United States
1 Dec 07
Stockings are great. We always hung ours from the book case. At least until about 15 years ago. I was 16 before we got a house with a fireplace. So they were hung from a book case. I do remember one year my mom put them on the wall, but on Christmas morning they were under the tree because they were too heavy for the tape to hold them up. We were always allowed to go through our stockings, open any presents in them or eat any of the food in them before our parents got up. It gave them a little extra time to sleep.
2 people like this

@moneyandgc (3428)
• United States
2 Dec 07
I have heard of people getting fruit in their stockings, my husband said that he got an orange in his stocking every year too(I just asked him). We never got fruit, money or nuts in our stockings. We got candy and small toys in there. When we got older there was make-up and jewelry too. We got those Lifesaver books every year as well.
I've never put fruit in my children's stockings either. I guess it is because I didn't grow up with the tradition.
@rebelann (117244)
• El Paso, Texas
31 Oct 19
I never had stockings so all that I'd get would be under the tree.
@xleslieanne (692)
• United States
1 Dec 07
sounds pretty nice. i would usually get a handful of little toys too. and markers or crayons. then starting in junior high, every year i'd get gum too because i love gum. and, as i got older, perfumes, lotions, nail stuff. and any little things my mom knew i was running low on like make up products.
2 people like this
@rebelann (117244)
• El Paso, Texas
31 Oct 19
We didn't get a lot of toys, mostly it would be underwear and clothes which we needed for school anyway.
@kgwat70 (13387)
• United States
2 Dec 07
I remember getting candy in my stocking, especially Twizzlers. I used to get handheld games as well and socks and other small items. I got snacks as well. I do not remember everything I got back then. My family still does stocking stuffers during Christmas. Sometimes the stocking gifts were better than the bigger gifts.
2 people like this
@dfollin (27267)
• United States
2 Dec 07
I basically got the same thing you did. I did not get apples because I don't like them,but I did get oranges and small cans of pear nectar juice.I don't remember if I got nuts.I did get hershey kisses,lifesaver books(YUM!),candy canes,pez dispenser's and other toys.Usually the other toys were those paddle's with a string attached to a ball also and ball and jacks sets.Oh yeah,I used to get those little plastic puzzles where the pieces moved around to make the picture and those mini etch-a-scetches,bubbles,play doah.And we got M & M's and Tic Tac candies too.
@dfollin (27267)
• United States
2 Dec 07
Iam really amazed at how many people did not have stockings.I thought that people have done stockings at Christmas for along time.If you see movie's with the scene set for 1800's and early 1900's they had stockings mostly instead of presents.Hmmmmmm!
1 person likes this

@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
1 Dec 07
When I was a kid, I always got candy in my stocking. All sorts of different types of candy. Usually my favorites. A lot of years I got those lifesaver 'books' full of lifesavers. Then, I'd have a few small toys or other random items thrown in. Sometimes it would be small jewelry, or small toys that could fit in the stocking that I'd have to wait until later to open.
2 people like this
@wiccania (3360)
• United States
1 Dec 07
You mentioning jewelry reminded me... I got my first piece of "real" jewelry in my stocking when I was 8 or 9. It was a sterling silver necklace with a garnet pendant and matching earrings. Usually the "extra" stuff was small toys, coloring books, stuff like that.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (120898)
• United States
2 Dec 07
I didn't get a stocking when I was a child, but as soon as I was able financially, I started putting up stockings for my family and filling them with things. I always wanted one, so I decided to put up one for everyone else. Who cares if they are adults, it's still fun! : )
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@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
1 Dec 07
I remember there was always a 10-pack of gum, Slim Jim's, an orange, new gloves, bath and hair items, and a big candy cane.
2 people like this
@3lilangels (4639)
• United States
1 Dec 07
i remember getting stuff like books,crayons, stickers,jewelry,candy and stuff animals and hair stuff.i always loved the stocking stuffers.
@blueunicorn (2401)
• United States
1 Dec 07
The LifeSaver books seem to have been a pretty popular stocking stuffer. I used to get one, too. Now days my mom fills a stocking for my husband, kids, and I, and I fill one for my mom and dad. These are the only gifts we exchange on Christmas. It makes it fun, yet inexpensive. I'm going to have to go get LifeSaver boxes now for Mom and Dad's stockings!
Each year I would get candy, little things like chap stick, and a coloring book and crayons. The stocking was the thing we were allowed to open while our dad slept in as much as he could until my brother and I would wind up being too loud and waking Dad up.
2 people like this
@jormins (1223)
• United States
1 Dec 07
My mom is still heavily into that even though I've never liked that tradition. Its a nice thought/gesture, but besides some of the candy most of the rest is all nick nacks and is never used. I wonder where that tradition came from. I think presents under the tree is plenty.
2 people like this
@wiccania (3360)
• United States
1 Dec 07
My mom still does stockings for everyone as well. My sisters and I don't get as much candy these days, and the stuff she uses to fill it is more grown up. Usually she does stuff like bath salts or bath beads, lotions, stuff like that. She's not one for knick knacks either, so unless it's something she knows we'll like or have a good laugh at, she doesn't go that route.
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@megumiart (3771)
• United States
2 Dec 07
Every single year my mom gives me chapstick and a toothbrush in my stocking. other present inthere are usually makeup, hair accesories or keychains.
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@lovinangelsinstead21 (36847)
• Pamplona, Spain
31 Oct 19
Fresh oranges from Israel so I was told and chocolate coins in a kind of mesh.
I did never like sugar pigs as they were sickly sweet.
@sallypup (69183)
• Centralia, Washington
11 Nov 19
At least an orange at the bottom of the sock. My Mom was a devout German Catholic. Saint Nick's Day meant more to her than Christmas is what I heard.


















