As a kid, the first thing I got to open on Christmas morning was my stocking. Stockings have always been a symbol of Christmas tradition for my family. Even as we’re older, Christmas stockings are still well loved by many. This is the case for freshman Finn Richards.
“I like getting them, it’s really fun to open them with my sister,” said Richards. “The small gifts are always really cute.”
Each kid has a different experience with what is stuffed inside their stockings. Mine would be stuffed to the brim with all sorts of cheap goodies, with stocking stuffers varying from food and dollar tree items to toys and small gifts. But with everyday prices rising, so has the cost of stocking stuffers.
“Everything is more expensive now. Rising costs may mean gifting smaller amounts or lower priced items,” said health education teacher Rachel Griffin.
However, even with the rise in prices, stockings seem to remain a stable tradition. Younger generations are still getting stockings with no declines foreseen in the future, showing how truly beloved they are.
“I haven’t heard much about a decline, but I do think for families that celebrate Christmas and put up stockings, the traditions are really varied,” said Griffin.
Each family has their own tradition on how to do stockings. In my family, stockings are the only Christmas thing allowed to be opened before our family walk. Stockings are a tradition that span throughout generations dating back as far as the 19th century. 
“We’ve created a tradition with our kids that blends these two ways of doing things,” said Griffin. “Our kids choose one gift to open on Christmas Eve night, and everything else happens on Christmas morning.”
It seems that the importance of stockings shouldn’t be underestimated, with the tradition being so valued that it has lasted through hundreds of years and many times of economic uncertainty.
