Those cute red socks above the fireplace remind people at home of Christmas and the upcoming new year. However, there’s a not-so-happy legend that goes along with the seemingly joyful symbol. One father had 3 unmarried daughters. But due to the poor condition of the family, the girls didn’t have a dowry, which is why they couldn’t get married. At those times, girls without a dowry were forced to earn a living in tolerance houses.

A former monk (who was later canonized and became famous as Saint Nicholas) learned about the situation of this family and decided to save the girls from this shameful fate. He left 3 bags of gold in the chimney, and one of them fell into a stocking that was being dried nearby.