Miami Valley Coin Club

Christmas Tradition Origins

The Stockings Were Hung

A widowed man who was worried he could not provide for his three daughters. St. Nicholas heard about the family’s hardships and filled the daughters’ stockings, which were drying by the fire, with gold coins.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Evergreen trees have long been thought to be lucky since they remain green even in the dead of winter. The modern Christmas tree can be traced back to German Lutherans in the 17th century, and they were first seen in the US in Pennsylvania in the 1820s (where many German immigrants settled).

Old Saint Nick Himself

The oldest legend of St. Nicholas dates back to 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey. As the story goes, a monk named St. Nicholas was generous and kind, giving away his wealth to those in need.