The origin goes that a poor family was in desperate need of money. Nicholas (prior to his sainthood) wanted to give the money anonymously, so he dropped a bag of gold down the chimney. It landed in a stocking that had been hung by the fireplace to dry. Sidebar: if indeed he was able to make the gold come to rest in the sock, I believe it would have counted as a miracles needed for his sainthood. The story, though, does highlight the tale of an extravagant gift breaking into the mundane and changing lives as a result: soggy footwear and golden coins when the need was greatest.
Two thousand years ago, what was more ordinary than a cattle trough in a rural setting? What more extravagant a gift can be given than a King setting aside his crown, humbling Himself to live among us and show His love? And oh how that gift has changed/transformed lives though the millennia, mine included!
Chimney or not, gold coins or oranges, how much more Christmas can you get?
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