Or sign in with your account on:

Not a member yet? Register

What do you do with stockings on Christmas day?

Thursday, 25 August 2016
A Christmas stocking is an empty sock that is hung on Christmas Eve so that Santa Claus can fill it with small toys, sweets, fruit, coins or other small gifts when he arrives. A Christmas stocking is an empty sock that is hung on Christmas Eve so that Santa Claus can fill it with small toys, sweets, fruit, coins or other small gifts when he arrives. This image by rousecoutre0 from pixabay.com is licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license

Do you know what a Christmas stocking is for? Find out more in this month's graded reading comprehension at an intermediate level.

(Page 1 of 2) « Prev All Pages Next »

Reading comprehension - Intermediate level

A Christmas stocking is an empty sock that is hung on Christmas Eve so that Santa Claus can fill it with small toys, sweets, fruit, coins or other small gifts when he arrives. However, a naughty child receives only coal.

What is the history behind Christmas stockings?

There are popular legends that tell the history of this Christmas tradition.
One legend says: Very long ago, there was a poor man and his three very beautiful daughters. He had no money to get his daughters married, and he was worried what would happen to them after his death.

Saint Nicholas was passing when he heard the villagers talking about the girls. He wanted to help so he waited until it was night and went through the chimney. He had three bags of gold coins with him, one for each girl. As he was looking for a place to keep those three bags, he noticed stockings of the three girls that were hung near the fireplace for drying. He put one bag in each stocking and then he went.

When the girls and their father woke up the next morning, they found the bags of gold coins and were of course, very happy. The girls were able to get married and live happily ever after.

In the past children simply used one of their everyday socks, but today special Christmas stockings are created. 

Many families create their own Christmas stockings with each family member's name applied to the stocking so that Santa Claus will know which stocking belongs to which family member.

Christmas stockings - Reading comprehension questions

1. What are Christmas stockings?

2. What did Santa put in the stockings in the legend?

3. What type of stockings did children use in the past?


Christmas stockings - Reading comprehension - Questions and answers:

1. What are Christmas stockings?

They are empty socks hung on the fireplace or bed on Christmas Eve.

2. What did Santa put in the stockings in the legend?

He put gold coins

3. What type of stockings did children use in the past?

Children used everyday socks.
« Prev All Pages Next » (Page 1 of 2)
Rate this item
(1 Vote)
published in Graded Reading 2016
Read 11648 times
Last modified on Wednesday, 14 February 2018 13:54

Free English lessons in your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter and receive free grammar lessons and exercises, graded readers with comprehension questions, and tips on how to improve your English. And stay updated on the WeLoveTeachingEnglish services.