Did you ever wonder where the tradition of getting coal in your stocking if you were naughty originated? Anybody who has ever received that dreaded hunk of coal has, I'm sure, wondered the same thing. Not that I'm admitting to being naughty enough to have received any myself…..okay, maybe once or twice. But where did Santa get the idea in the first place?

The holiday season is full of many little traditions. People who celebrate Christmas traditionally decorate trees, and hang lights, wreaths and mistletoe. Stockings are hung by the chimney in hopes that Santa will fill them with lots of goodies. The oldest reference to St. Nick, a/k/a Santa Clause dates back to the third century in the ancient town of Myra, located in what is now modern Turkey; the home of Bishop Nicholas. It is said that the good bishop would pass by the homes of maidens too poor to afford a dowry, and toss coins down the chimney which would in turn fall into their stockings; which were hung by the chimney to dry. But how can such a benevolent tradition be turned into one as cruel as getting coal instead?

It seems this tradition originated in Sicily. It begins with the legend of La Befana. According to the legend, two of the Wise Men stopped at her home on their way to see the Christ child and asked for directions. She was invited to join them on their journey, but she turned them down. Soon a shepherd stopped and he too asked for directions. Once again she was invited to join him and once again she turned him down. A few days later she thought better of her decision and tried to find the Child on her own. Taking with her the toys from her own children, she wandered the countryside searching, but never finding baby Jesus. Along the way, she left toys for each child she passed that was good and a lump of coal for each that was naughty.

Okay, now we know where it comes from.
Surely, there must be something good that will come of this unfortunate gift!

Coal tar was traditionally used as a soothing aid for skin conditions such as seborrhea, eczema, scabies, psoriasis, and ringworm. Considered a powerful antiseptic, it is the main ingredient in Coal Tar Soap. A must-have in most households 130 years ago. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers coal tar itself to be a Group 1 carcinogen; however, the U.S. National Psoriasis Foundation and the FDA find that concentrations between .5% and 5% are a safe and effective way to treat psoriasis. It can still be bought in supermarkets and specialty shops worldwide.

As for me, I wiped the smirks off of my siblings' faces by informing them that coal is, after all,
just a diamond in the rough.