Stockings: Who doesn't want to put candy where stinky feet usually go?

Do you ever think about how weird Christmas stockings are? We hang up socks and people put goodies in them. Okay. Strange.

It's an essential part of Christmas, but why? Where did it come from? What sock freak started this tradition?

It was actually just someone doing laundry.

The most popular legend tells the story of a widower who had no money for a dowry to marry off his three daughters. The charitable Saint Nicholas threw gold into their window, which happened to fall into the girls' socks that had been hanging near the fire to dry.

While we wish our stockings were still filled with gold, stocking stuffers have evolved over the ages starting with gold, then traditionally being filled with snacks and small food items to current day stocking stuffers, which are usually small toys and gifts.

Christmas morning looks just like Laundry Tuesday.

But what about the little gremlins? The heinous children that purposefully set out legos for you step on? Why do they get coal?

There is no specific legend, but it after much research, Mental Floss came to the conclusion of convenience. Don't have a present? Just grab a coal from the fireplace you came down. No need to pre-pack or search for a bad gift. Easy enough.

The only thing people buy less than coal. No shortage for Santa's naughty list.

No matter what's in your stocking this year, now you can school your friends about why they were hung in the first place. Because they were dirty.