Some of my friends said that he leaves switches to be spanked with, which makes some sense, but why coal? Lol, my son is into rocks right now, so he'd love that.
2007-10-26 01:57:09 · 18 answers · asked by Starfall 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
When my Mother was young she said they always got coal in their stockings to help keep them warm through out the year.
It wasn't a punishment for bad children, they also got a tangerine.
2007-10-26 02:00:04 · answer #1 · answered by millypeed my choccie Lab 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It was my grandmother that told me that Santa Claus left coal in the stockings of bad kids, and that coal was important for fuel at the time. My grandmother also was born in the era when this tradition took hold (1920's), and at that time, deliveries of coal would be made to residents, and they would drop the order down the coal chute.
I grew up in a house that had a cast-iron door that opened to the coal chute, and though we heated with natural gas and didn't get coal, the coal storage closet was still there. And in it was stored a coal-burning oven. Rather a historical culture experience from my childhood. Fascinating to me.
Dad always said Santa gave wooden switches to the bad kids, and that made sense to me because a switch was used historically for punishment (not my parents, but Dad made me cut my own switch one time. Just the dread of having to cut your own switch is often punishment enough. When he didn't use it on me, and I only listened to a lecture, that was almost enough to make me swoon from relief!)
I threatened to put rocks and sticks in Mom and Dad's stockings one year. I made good on that threat: I put ROCK CANDY and HONEY SWIZZLE STICKS in their stockings. Haha, sneaky little me!
And when I DID get some coal in my stocking 8-O , it was actually bubblegum. Haha. Thanks Mom and Dad. B-)
2013-12-25 12:23:44 · answer #2 · answered by ginnyjollykidd 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might be because coal is seen as a worthless and boring object. Personally, I would prefer if Santa gave naughty children a renewable source, like maybe a jar of wind...
2007-10-26 02:01:29 · answer #3 · answered by . 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I guess coal is the worse thing for a child to get. A toy is bright and fun. Coal is messy and dirty. Yeah, coal rocks.
2007-10-26 02:01:07 · answer #4 · answered by Cute 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Santa gives out coal, because he doesnt want his elves working overtime making toys, which is why its convienient to give coal to kids.
And also santa will have to pay double to the elves than usual, and where is Santa gonna get that kind of money, his yearly income is MILK & COOKIES!!
2007-10-26 02:08:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Coal?! Santa is a make believe. He doesnt actually leave coal in children's stockings. The parents might put it there but i doubt it...
2007-10-26 02:01:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I guess because when he drops down a chimney and a naughty child lives there, it's not worth Santa's time to drag other things along with him, such as switches, so he does it the easy way and grabs coal from their fireplace.........
2007-10-26 02:00:26 · answer #7 · answered by ~Josie~ 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That's so funny. My daughter keeps telling my other daughter if she keeps fighting with her she'll get coal under the tree for Christmas. She just replies," Mom would never let that happen! I'd get filthy!" LOL
2007-10-26 02:42:01 · answer #8 · answered by plastic 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Coal??? You mean some people actually get coal?? He took a crap in my stocking last year!
2007-10-26 01:59:20 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
he fills the stockings which are next to a fire place so he saw some coal and said "screw you, you bad little children"
2007-10-26 02:01:17 · answer #10 · answered by Lynnerd 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋