In Australia, Aotearoa, New Zealand and in other countries in that region children put up their stockings for the presents from Santa Claus. That is because Saint Nicholas not only is the Saint of the children, but the Saint of the ships. Once the children made paper ships and put them outside on Christmas Eve. Later they were replaced by shoes which have a resemblance with ships…. and from there it was not far to stockings which were able to hold more, too.
