I was just watching The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (I Tivo it) and in his opening monologue he mentioned that he used to get tangerines and chocolate in his Christmas stockings when he was growing up.

When I was growing up there was always a tangerine in the toe of my stocking … even though my parents (and Santa) knew I don’t like tangerines much.

So, I wondered … is it a Scottish thing?

No, not really.

It’s part of a larger tradition surrounding St. Nicholas (Bishop Nicholas of Myra, Turkey).

According to legend, says Wikipedia, there was a poor man with three beautiful daughters. Because the man was so poor, he couldn’t provide a dowry to get his daughters married and he was worried about what would happen to them when he was gone.

St. Nicholas was passing through that village and heard of the poor man’s plight. He wanted to help but knew he couldn’t just give the man some money out right. He had to do it in secrecy.

That night, he crept into their home through the chimney, carrying with him three bags of gold coins … one for each of the three daughters. In looking for a place to put the bags of coins, he noticed that the girls’ stockings were hanging over the mantelpiece to dry. So he decided to put the bags of coins inside the the girls’ stockings, where they found them when they woke up in the morning.

Often, these bags of coins are said to be golden balls. Tangerines, and sometimes oranges, are used to represent those balls. And so, Europeans and their American descendants still put round, orange fruit in the toes of stockings as a reminder of Nicholas’ gift.

Of course, the origin of such traditions can get lost from one generation to the next … leading to my Internet research.

Oh, and about Ferguson’s chocolates … I found that chocolate coins are often added to Christmas stocking for the same reason as the tangerine.

What did my father say was the reason for the tangerine? Besides sharing the tradition of his father, he said it was to prevent stocking stuffers from getting caught in the toe of the stocking … which isn’t too far fetched. One year, we went to hang up the Christmas stockings and found a gift from the previous year still lodged inside!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a Christmas stocking that was made just for me. It has my initials and the year I was born on it. I’ve been told my aunt knitted it for me. Although it’s seen better days, I still have ii.

Making a personalized Christmas stocking for the children is a terrific tradition that brings a special joy to each member of the family.

I’ve had mine since I was a baby … but if someone you love doesn’t have one, it is never too late to remedy that situation. In fact, when I got married, I made one for my husband.

Let’s look at each element of design in turn to get your creative juices flowing. At the end, you’ll have a design and pattern for your personalized Christmas stocking.

Themes
Christmas has many “faces” to display on a stocking. The one I grew up with had a Santa theme, but there are others you can choose:

• angels,
• the Nativity,
• snowmen,
• Christmas trees,
• gingerbread men,
• a partridge in a pear tree,
• ornaments,
• wreaths,
• dogs, cats or other beloved pets, or
• something from your heritage

The list goes on.

Color Schemes
The obvious choice is the traditional red and green, but other combinations also go well with Christmas:

• white, silver and gold
• white and two shades of blue
• red, gold and purple

Generally, three-color schemes work very well. However, you can create a stunning stained-glass effect with a range of jewel-like colors.

Fabrics
My stocking was knitted from yarn. My husband’s is sewn from a simple cotton weave. Christmas stocking can be made from any fabric under the sun. It is really the color scheme and theme that help you pick the right one.

And you don’t need to stick to one type of fabric. You can add satin ribbon, golden trim, felt appliques … even plastic decorations can be added to the mix. Heck! You could even use suede!

Visit your local craft and fabric stores … places like JoAnn’s Fabrics and Michael’s can offer you a wide array of trims and fabrics, including laces, ribbons, woven, ethnic, glittery, sequined, beaded and tasseled.

The Pattern
Use a paper grocery bag to draw your stocking shape. Using a pencil, refine the shape until it is just the way you want it. Then trace a half-inch allowance on all sides. Then cut it out.

This is your pattern. Use it to cut out two mirror images of the shape from your main fabric. Sew them together (right sides facing each other) … remembering to create a hem at the opening.

Reverse the stocking and decorate. Now you have a personalized Christmas stocking!

One thing I’ll miss this Christmas is my annual doggie stocking. My faithful friend of 14 years died this summer. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a few ideas I’d like to share with you so your furry friend can enjoy the holiday season, too.

As a member of the family, pets often have a Christmas stocking. You can buy ready-made ones at your local pet store. But don’t you think it would be a lot more fun if you created one yourself?

Here are some ideas for doggie stocking stuffers:

• Your dog’s favorite soft treat
• Your dog’s favorite chew bone
• A new chew toy
• A new collar
• Some doggie haute couture bling
• A new food dish or water bowl

Does your dog like fruit? Put a fresh one in the toe of the stocking. What about veggies? My dog actually liked cabbage and pumpkin. You can include a little bit of fresh veggies, too. (Just don’t stuff them in until the last minute, or they’ll spoil.)

Then, when it’s time to ope the stocking, watch your dog curiously poke around with or rip through it — according to the personality of your special friend.