Object: Lumps of coal

Good morning, boys and girls. There is a very old custom which is associated with Christmas Eve. We always did it in our family even when we didn't have a proper fireplace. Can you think of what custom this is? (Response -- hanging stockings.) Do you do that in your home? And what sort of things do you find in your stocking on Christmas morning? (Response -- Allow some freedom of expression.) I always had trouble getting to sleep on Christmas Eve because I was so excited about the little treasures that I would find in my stocking in the morning.

Well, what would you say if you awoke on Christmas morning, full of excitement and anticipation, to find that the only thin…