Christmas Stocking Ideas

If you've lost a family member, putting out their stocking during the holidays can be a painful reminder of their absence. ⁠Here are some creative ideas from What's Your Grief on how to honor their memory through their stocking:

Put out a pen and paper and ask people to fill the stocking with their favorite memory of the person.

Fill it with gifts that you would have given the person. Give the gifts to other friends of family members who you know would also appreciate the gift with a note about why your loved one would have loved it.

Fill it with gifts you think they would have gotten for you and or for other family members if they were still here.

Put out a pen and paper and ask people to write down one “gift” (physical or not physical!) that the person gave them that they will always remember and cherish.

Fill it with gifts that you would have given the person. After the holidays, donate the gifts to a shelter or other organization. Alternatively, each make a donation in their memory and fill the stocking with info about the organizations to share on Christmas.

If the stocking doesn’t feel good to keep/hang, cut a small star or heart shape piece out of the fabric to put in a small frame, turn into an ornament, or to otherwise repurpose as a memorial keepsake.

Hang their stocking with a candle above/below it to light in their memory on Christmas day (or whenever!). In future years you might keep the stocking or transition to just a candle.

You may not want to hang their stocking and that is more than okay. Remember that your connection to them lives in your memories and heart, not in physical objects. It is okay to give it a squeeze (maybe with some tears) and then put it in a donation bag or fabric recycling bin.