Lump of Coal in Christmas Stockings: Why?

If you find yourself on a tight budget this holiday season, why not give black diamonds in lieu of white diamonds? A black diamond (known as coal in certain parts of the country) is the perfect way to give a unique and creative gift while putting a smile on someone’s face.

Give a Black Diamond (Coal) This Holiday Season and Keep a Centuries-Old Tradition Alive

Giving coal as a humorous Christmas gift originated a very long time ago. The actual tradition of giving coal, or black diamonds, is said to have originated in Italy. Santa gave goal to children who were naughty. Children who were nice received gifts.

Know Someone Naughty?

In the UK, it is believed that throughout the year Santa would compile two lists: one with the names of good children and one with the names of bad children. Bad children who did not show improvement in their behavior would be given coal for Christmas in lieu of presents.

An Array of Gift Ideas

There are several ways you could incorporate coal into your gift-giving. You can make it fun and playful and literally give a lump of coal in a Christmas stocking. Include a copy of the words to the famous Christmas song, “There’s a lump of coal in my Christmas stocking” for added humor. You could also give coal in the form of jewelry. There are a variety of jewelry retailers who sell handcrafted jewelry made from coal. This jewelry is pretty neat and certainly not as expensive as some of the other jewelry items on the market.

Another option is to give useful items made out of coal such as paper weights. Finding actual coal might be difficult depending on the region of the country you live in, but check online if it isn’t available locally. There are online retailers who market prepackaged coal gifts for those who want to take part in this tradition.

Giving coal for Christmas can be a comical way to continue an age-old tradition that originated centuries ago in Europe. Giving black diamonds (or coal) is a great way to keep this Christmas lore alive.