The unbridled thrill of waking up to a bulging Christmas stocking is a feeling many Brits never truly outgrow. While the tradition dates back to the Victorian era and was originally for children, a significant number of adults in their thirties are still receiving – and giving – these festive sacks filled with 'bits and bobs'. For some, it's a cherished piece of magic; for others, a source of mild embarrassment.
The 'Kidult' Christmas Ritual That Refuses to Die
For Katie, a 33-year-old from Liverpool, the annual stocking from her parents is a constant. "I always vaguely assumed that there would be a cut-off point, possibly around the time that I moved out," she reflects. That cut-off never arrived. She now suspects it might only end once she and her siblings have partners and children of their own. "For now, we're all quite happy with this very 'kidult' set-up one day a year."
Ellie, 32 from London, shares a similar story, receiving a stocking every year without fail at her parents' home. "Mortifyingly, my parents still sneak into my room in the night to leave a stocking at the end of my bed," she admits. She believes her mother, who she identifies as the real stocking-filler, enjoys the low-stakes fun of picking up small gifts throughout the year.
Grown-Up Gifts and Who Foots the Bill
The contents have matured alongside the recipients. Gone are the days of pure plastic and sugar. A 2023 study highlighted top gifts now include gift cards, snacks, and self-care items like lip balms and makeup. On the quirkier end, 17 per cent reported receiving coal, sardines, olives, or even toilet paper.
This isn't a niche practice. A 2024 survey found that just over half of UK adults give a festive stocking to their partner, spending roughly £62 on average. The labour of love, however, often falls to women. One YouGov study noted that in the UK, 61 per cent of women purchase family presents, compared to just eight per cent of men.
Recognising this, many adult children, particularly daughters, step in to share the burden. "For the past decade, my sisters and I have been buying stuff for each other's stockings," says Katie, noting their gifts often align on a similar wavelength or become inside jokes.
A Tradition With Surprisingly Murky Origins
Where did this odd custom come from? Popular legend traces it to the 4th century and Saint Nicholas, who supposedly threw purses of gold down a chimney for three impoverished daughters, the coins landing in stockings drying by the fire.
However, historian Judith Flanders, author of Christmas: A Biography, states "We have no real idea of when and where it came about." The first mentions appear in the 1810s in the United States among a circle of friends including author Clement Clarke Moore. Flanders suggests they may have invented it, presenting it as historical tradition in a satirical work.
The nice thing about this fuzzy origin story, Flanders confirms, is that "You can do what you like... No one can tell you otherwise." There are no official rules. You can hang a stocking for your cat or receive one until you're 100, provided someone is willing to do the wrapping. For a generation of thirty-somethings across the UK, that seems to be precisely the plan, making the Christmas stocking a strangely enduring, and endearing, pillar of the modern festive season.
