The tradition of hanging Christmas stockings on Christmas Eve, when you think about it, is fairly odd.

Why do we fill them up with gifts to give to our loved ones when they wake up on Christmas morning?

Legend has it, St Nicholas was a wealthy fourth century Greek saint who loved giving gifts to those less fortunate than himself.

He heard about a man living nearby who had lost his wife and money and had three daughters to care for.

St. Nicholas spotted that the girls had hung up their stockings to dry on the chimney ledge of their cottage and so he decided to climb down the chimney and put a bag of silver coins in the oldest daughter’s stocking.

The next time he visited, he placed a bag of coins in the second daughter’s stocking and on his third visit, he placed the coins in the youngest daughter’s stocking.

He was caught by the father, who was sworn to secrecy, but news of his generosity soon got out and everyone in the village started leaving their stockings out, hoping for a visit from St. Nicholas.