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Fireplace mantel is centerpiece of holiday tradition

For many people, the fireplace is an essential focal point of Yuletide décor, and scores of parents may need to get creative to explain how Santa Claus magically will fill their "stockings hung by the chimney with care ... " if the don’t have a hearth, or worse, if their kids understand the mechanics of a gas fireplace.

The tradition of decorating a home’s mantel during the holidays would hardly be complete without tacking up the requisite stockings, but where did this time-honored custom come from?

According to the HistoryChannel.com, the tradition of hanging stockings from the mantel at Christmas began with the legend of Santa Claus, which can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas, who was known for his red cape and flowing white beard. He is believed to have been born around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in what is now modern-day Turkey. St. Nicholas was admired for his piety and kindness and became the subject of many legends. One such story had him giving away all of his inherited wealth and traveling the countryside helping the poor and sick.

One of the best known yarns about St. Nicholas tells of how he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery by their father by providing them with a dowry so that they could marry. Other variations say the father was a nobleman and a heartsick widower, who lost all his money investing in bad inventions.

Most of the stories seem to agree that one night after the daughters washed out their clothing, they hung their stocking over the fireplace to dry. That night, St. Nicholas, knowing of the father’s despair, stopped by the nobleman’s house after the family had gone to bed. He hatched an idea after seeing the stockings hanging to dry and took three small bags of gold from pouch and gingerly threw them down the chimney one by one into the stockings. The next morning, the girls awoke to find their stockings mysteriously filled with enough gold to marry, securing their happiness and that of their father.

The legend of St. Nicholas’ generosity survived the generations and the HistoryChannel.com pegs his emergence into American pop culture around the end of the 18th century. In the early 1770s, U.S. newspapers reported that groups of Dutch families had gathered to honor the anniversary of his death. The name Santa Claus evolved from St. Nicholas’ Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, and the Dutch carried on the tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace in his honor.

So while it might be a neglected afterthought throughout the rest of the year, especially in warm climates, the fireplace becomes a focal point of tradition and adornment in many homes during the Christmas holiday season, whether or not it is inspired by the legend of St. Nicholas’ benevolence.

Whether a home is graced with a kiva, a beehive shaped fireplace often found in southwestern homes; a corner fireplace used primarily in small spaces; an inglenook, a 12th century invention with a large hearth with benches encircling it; or a traditional wood burning or a modern gas fireplace; some homeowners may consider the fireplace an essential amenity at least when December comes around.

While homeowners may be enthusiastic about using their fireplace during the holidays and winter months, make sure to follow a few simple safety tips recommended by the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, especially if you are decorating your mantel with holiday greens, candles or stockings waiting to be filled:

• Clear the area around the fireplace and chimney.

• Always use a fireplace screen.

• Never overload the fireplace.

• Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.

• When building a fire, place logs at the rear.

• Never leave fire unattended.

• Keep wood stacked, covered, and out-of-doors.

• Have your fireplace inspected annually.

More on fireplace safety can be found at www.usfa.fema.gov/kids or on the National Fire Prevention Association Web site at www.nfpa.org. For holiday mantel decorating ideas, check out www.bhg.com. For information on keeping your home safe for kids during the entire holiday season, visit www.safekids.org.

(Mike Kruse, who is owner and president of Mike Kruse Contractors Inc., is president of the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia, which serves a membership of approximately 615 builders and associate members in Fayette, Coweta, Spalding, Meriwether, Heard, Pike, Upson, Lamar, Butts and Jasper counties.)