Why do we stuff stockings? Here's the answer, and little gift suggestions for all ages

What to put in a stocking? Easy. A foot.

Except that someone, somewhere, confused the issue. Stockings, it appeared, could also be a receptacle for gifts.

And this misunderstanding started long before Clement Clarke Moore, in his 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," gave it the authority of print.

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there," he tells us.

Poor Santa! He had no choice but to play along. As parents have done, ever since.

Sock to the system

"We do these traditions every year, and we have no idea why," said Brian Earl, who hosts the podcast Christmas Past.

"There's always some interesting story behind it," he said.

Stocking stuffers! Those little extra doodads to send our already brimming Christmas cup running over!

For some, they are a no-brainer. A candy bar, a Hot Wheels car. Done. But others take as much care with the extras as they do with the main event under the tree.

There are people who put electronic gadgets, gift cards, tarot cards, cosmetics, jewelry and hand tools into the stocking. There are people who put pens, pencils, markers, crayons, puzzles and paperbacks into the stocking.

We know a family that puts stockings into the stocking. "That's kind of meta," Earl said.

Citrus treat

One item that traditionally turns up in stockings: an orange. For luck. An old British tradition, Earl said.

"Oranges were kind of a luxury item," he said. "In England, before there was a global food supply chain, to see an orange in winter was very rare."

And of course, there is that most cherished of old traditions, coal. For bad little children.

Which goes back to the idea, common in Europe, that the Christmas gift giver — whether Papa Noel, Sinterklaas, or Weihnachtsmann — dispensed punishments as well as prizes.

"Christmas gift-bringers in Europe would have this carrot-and-stick system of rewarding good children and punishing naughty ones," Earl said. "Once he came to America, we started to sanitize him."

Origin story

Where did it all start? Traditionally, with St. Nicholas himself.

According to one story, the kindly fourth century Turkish bishop — the model for Santa Claus — dropped a bag of gold down a poor man's chimney. The bag landed, by accident, in a stocking hung by the fire to dry.

A doubtful story, Earl notes. Not least because the chimney wasn't developed until the 11th century.

But that didn't stop it from spreading.

"It seems to have traveled around Europe and then the world from settlers from the Netherlands and parts of Germany," said James Cooper, whose website WhyChristmas.com explores this and many other holiday customs.

Something for Santa

The Dutch were especially fond of this tradition, which had variants. Sometimes, Dutch children left their wooden shoes outside for Sinterklaas, filled with carrots and hay for his team. In the morning, they would find treats. Which is probably why, to this day, kids leave milk and cookies for Santa Claus.

"Shoes are still very much used in many parts of Europe on St Nicholas' Eve — the eve of the 5th December," Cooper said. "The change to stockings might have come because you can get more in them than shoes. When I was a kid, I had a pillowcase — even bigger!"

In the old days, the stocking was the main event. There was no Christmas tree, no presents under it.

How did the stocking become the side dish, rather than the main course?

It happened gradually, Earl said. Mainly because of the popularity of the Christmas tree — a late-breaking development that wasn't introduced to the English-speaking world until the 1850s, and wasn't really common until the end of the 19th century.

"Over here in America, we didn't start to see Christmas trees in houses until the 1870s, after the Civil War," Earl said.

Up a tree

At first, people hung the presents in the tree. They were part of the trimming. In 1850, Charles Dickens described such a tree. It had dolls, watches, toy fiddles and drums, jewelry, pincushions, guns, swords and banners, and toy furniture "perched among the boughs, as if in preparation for some fairy housekeeping."

Such gifts, like the ones left in the stockings, were modest. Trinkets and trifles. "They were mostly small things, handmade things, like cookies or a handmade toy," Earl said.

But by the end of the 19th century, gifts were changing, too. They were getting bigger, more expensive. And heavier. "More people are moving to the city, there are more factories, more store-bought goods," Earl said. "Christmas now becomes a real gift-giving holiday."

Down to earth

In 1896, the magazine Good Housekeeping had a suggestion. "It would be pretty to arrange the gifts about the base of the tree, instead of hanging them upon the three as is common amongst Americans."

And so, gradually, the center of attention shifted from the sock to the tree.

The Christmas stocking is a sort of relic. A vestigial reminder of the earlier, modest, homespun holiday that some of us — in these days of rampant commercialism — might secretly yearn for.

"I still have the stocking my mother made for me as a child," Earl said. "She made it out of red felt, on her sewing machine, and it has my name on it. I put it up every year."

Stocking the stocking

How to stuff a stocking? It is not, as "Cats"-man T.S. Eliot would say, one of your holiday games. It requires ingenuity, intuition, research. You have to know who you're buying for.

We can't do your shopping for you. But we have rooted around online for some suggestions to get you started. Happy Christmas hunting!

Stocking stuffer ideas for pre-school children

Montessori counting dinosaurs. Ages 3 and up. You can always count on dinosaurs. These tiny little triceratopses and brontosauri make math fun — and yes, they fit in a stocking. $11.99 rb.gy/fw8hcl

Disney Finding Nemo Bath Toys. Ages 1 to 3. What kid wouldn't want to take a bath with Dori, Nemo and Squirt? Wait. Where's Nemo? $10.99, rb.gy/yi9dk2.

BUNMO Super Sensory Stretchy Stocking Stuffers. Is your toddler touchy? Here's something she can feel good about — stretchy tubes of various textures that are soothing and quieting. That's something you can feel good about, too. $8.49, rb.gy/8nyun6.

Stocking stuffer ideas for children ages 6 to 12

Sarah's Silks Mini-Rainbow Streamer. Children love to whirl and twirl. Why not accessorize them with this colorful streamer that makes all kinds of great patterns in the air? $11.95, rb.gy/q3y8lr.

Pinkiwine 5 Pack Finger Slingshot Rockets Toy LED Foam Rocket Launcher Flying Toys. What's better than a slingshot? A slingshot that lights up when you fire it with your pinky, that's what. $13.99, rb.gy/tybga3.

Jishi Retro Magic Rail Twirler 3Pcs Light Up Glow Magnetic Gyro Wheel. You remember this thingamajig from when you were a kid — assuming you're as old as we are. The wheel goes along the rails, then reverses itself. Just like a yoyo, only cooler. $14.99, tinyurl.com/y55rdpvj.

Stocking stuffer ideas for teenagers

Teen Girls Survival Guide. and 101 Things Every Boy Needs to Know. You didn't know there was a manual, did you? $11.89 each, tinyurl.com/ye2p26uy tinyurl.com/3ntrj8ts

Farting Pen. Teens have a sophisticated sense of humor. And you can encourage it with this little item, which really requires so further explanation. $13.98, tinyurl.com/3msfchfu.

"I'm Gaming — Do Not Disturb" socks. The warning is printed on the sole of the sock — so it faces you when you open the bedroom door to find your teen sprawled out on the bed with an annoyed look on his face. $10.99, tinyurl.com/2utz732y.

Stocking stuffer ideas for men

Beanie Hat with Light. It's cold out there. Also dark. Here's how you can kill two birds with one stone. $8.99, tinyurl.com/ywuph3dd.

Mini desktop bowling. It's just like bowling with the boys. If the boys happen to be 3 inches tall. $11.98, tinyurl.com/tf4rjdnd.

Car cleaning putty. Your guy eats in the car, of course. And he gets crumbs in the little cracks, of course. Here's a little gob of gum that gets into hard-to-reach places and removes the offending particles. $6.99, tinyurl.com/59babyw7.

Stocking stuffer ideas for women

Shower Steamers Aromatherapy 6 Pack. Release the steam! Turn your shower into a bower — with scents that range from lavender to jasmine to citrus. $18.99, tinyurl.com/5n7vbt7k.

"Things I Wanna Say at Work But I'll Get Fired." It's a swear-word coloring book. You could buy her crayons to go with it. $6.99, tinyurl.com/bepy2x65.

Sleep Headphones Bluetooth Sleeping Headband. Ah! Darkness, and soothing music. And no snoring from you-know-who. $14.44, tinyurl.com/mua39kuu.

Stocking stuffer ideas for pets

Andiker Cat Spiral Spring. What's more springy and elastic than a cat? How about this Slinky-like toy that your kitty will have hours of fun pummeling and pouncing on? $5.59, tinyurl.com/4byfcwjx.

Multipet Plush Dog Toy, Lambchop. Remember the adorable, winsome Shari Lewis puppet, Lambchop? Your dog will have fun tearing her to pieces. $6.95, tinyurl.com/yc669urj.

Bird Toys For Parakeets. Does your parakeet skateboard, shoot basketballs, or play ring toss? Well what are you waiting for? $15.99, tinyurl.com/ykr3zxnh.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Stocking stuffer ideas for all ages: Recs for toddlers, teens and pets