Evening star., 1937-12-12
YHY a Christmas stocking?
This question has troubled
v antiquarians and folklorists


for many years, but only
recently the answer has been found
Santa hides his gifts in hose, silken
cotton or woolen, rather than in
handkerchiefs or pants pockets, be-
cause ne imagines the stocking will
suggest going places. Last Christmas,
according to one Of the trans Atlantic
steamship lines, hundreds of Amer
leans found cruise tickets and reser-
vations for European holidays in their
Christmas stockings. and it is be-
lieved that Santa will act the same
way this year. Interviewed on his
visit last year, the white whiskered
old sait admitted that he was put
ting passenger tickets in stockings
because it was an easy solution to
one OF his worst annual problems.
Everybody who received one felt that
Santa had guessed exactly what was
most wanted.
Many persons never associate travel
with stockings, except in the sense
that a few fashioned lady. pas
sengers years ago used the stocking
as the first national bank for their
savings with which to buy steamship
passage later. The trouble with that
primitive banking institution, however,
was that when the stocking had suf-
flcient cash for a trip, the best &C.
commodations were taken. Under the
reform inaugurated by Santa this dis
appointment has completely disap-
peared, for it conforms with the Oft
repeated travel slogan that if you
would travel we'll next summer you
must book early"
When asked whether he did not find
that the tucking of holidays in stock
lngs was not rather costly, Santa re-
piled genially, mot at all, for in
numerous instances only the reserva-
ton Is put in that receptacle, and
reservations cost only the amount of
the deposit, which gives the recipient
till a short time before sailing to COM
plete the payment"
IT was recalled that thousands of
Americans last Christmas found
trips to the coronation and the Paris
Exhibition in their stockings, and
santa was asked what special attrac-
tons were thrown in this coming year
to trick out the gift. If you could
see Europe as have done every year."
ne said, you would know that the
OLD World over there does not need
any tivivation to make it attractive Z"
Then he began to tell of the romantic
old castles, the toylike villages. and
quaint old cities, the costumes of the
peasants and the colorful pageantry
OF carnivals and ancient festivals.
NOT satisfied with his reply, the
interviewer asked if he might look
inside the big sack that Santa carried
across his broad shoulders, Just to
glimpse what kind Of attractions he
hao pinned to some of the passenger
tickets this Christmas. Right on top
OF the gifts was bundle of tickets
Tor the Eucharistic Congress to be
neld at Budapest in Hungary next
May, which some $4,000 Americans
and Canadians hope to attend. Just
below were several patches of exhibi-
ton tickets, some for the Empire
Exhibition in Glasgow. others for the
great exhibition at Oslo in Norway,
quite a large package of tickets for
the Caesar Augustus Exposition at
Rome and great number of tickets
for the Paris exhibition, which is to
open again this spring for those who
received nothing from Santa Claus
last year.
A s MOST OF these tickets could not
be used till the spring, a slight
poking around in the bag brought to
light large package of tickets which