Hanging on the fireplace mantle, stockings are a fun way to start the unwrapping of presents on Christmas morning.  For some, they might not compare to actual presents, but they are filled with smaller, meaningful gifts that make the holiday so much warmer.  

   “My ideal stocking has small makeup products [like] mascara, blush [and] highlight,  fuzzy socks, perfumes and face masks,” Madison Thompson (10) said.  

   Stockings look like long socks that hold smaller gifts.  Some families buy personalized ones to match a theme, while others buy generic red ones with white tops.  Both capture the spirit of the holiday season.

  “For me, opening the stocking is more exciting because it’s more personal, and it just has a vibe about it.  The stocking is smaller, so it tends to have smaller gifts inside of it, and it often happens to be things that I didn’t necessarily ask for, so it’s more of a surprise as well. And it somehow feels nostalgic,” Isabelle Kandalec (10) said.  

   Students like Dylan Lopez (10) get greater joy from unwrapping gifts than going through their stocking.  

   “Gifts are far more satisfying to tear open, especially when you find something on the inside.  And gifts are more versatile, they can be anything and aren’t limited to the size of a stocking,” Lopez said.  

   The contents of a stocking can change as the recipient grows older and their enjoyments change.  

   “[The contents] used to be mostly candy and random cheap things that were able to easily entertain me because I was so little. Now [they’re] more meaningful, more expensive or things that have been thought about for a long time before the purchase,” Kandalec says.  

   The holidays can be a perfect time to laugh with family and friends.  Between having certain traditions or just getting together, it can be fun to spend time with the people you love.  

“I look forward to my family traditions and spending time with them.  We bake sugar cookies every year with my grandparents and decorate them,” Thompson said.