What object do children traditionally hang by a fireplace for Santa to fill with gifts?

A Christmas stocking is the traditional object children hang by a fireplace for Santa to fill with gifts. Stockings are usually shaped like large socks and may contain small toys, sweets, fruit, coins, or other presents.

The custom is often linked to Saint Nicholas legends. One story says that Nicholas secretly dropped gold through a window to help three poor sisters, and the gold landed in stockings or shoes left near a fire to dry. The exact historical origin of the stocking custom is uncertain, but the legend helped connect stockings with anonymous generosity.

In modern households, stockings may be hung from a mantel, staircase, bedpost, or another safe location rather than an actual fireplace. Santa’s stocking tradition is separate from the larger wrapped presents placed under a Christmas tree, although both customs often appear together.