Our family culture is largely based on boisterous interactions and unique versions of family traditions. They are like little lilly pads of happy things, over the lake of work and school. They look forward to hopping from one to another. Advent stockings is one of our chocolate-based traditions. Yes, that’s a separate category which we’re always trying to expand.
Growing up with a highly religious mom, we celebrated Advent every year. She would remove stacks of theology books from the kitchen table to make room for a homemade wreath of pine branches and five candles. There were four candles around the edges, and a white one in the center. We lit one candle the first Sunday in December, adding another each Sunday. On Christmas Eve we could light the white one.
That original tradition seems to have absolutely nothing in common with what our family celebrates today. For many years I bought those mass produced chocolate advent calendars, with the little cardboard doors and faux-chocolates. The girls loved those, until they got older and started snubbing the waxy nuggets. Then, during a road trip, I found these adorable advent calendar stockings at Cracker Barrel. Since few people know what Advent is, they are named count-down stockings. I bought three. 
The main perk of these is to hold a (slightly) higher grade chocolate treat. The first year, I stuffed them with each of their favorite chocolates. Then, one kid accused me of chocolate favoratism. Puuuhlease! I’m no rookie at doing the whole equality thing. The next year, to dispel any rumors of chocolate-inequalities, I put all the chocolate in a pile and they took turns going around the circle 25 times to choose theirs. That’s right, mama can still outwit your crazy false-accusation shenanigans. Throw me anything and I’ll think of a creative solution to fix it. It’s my superpower. I did gain an important familial insight. Chocolate-equality = Family World Peace. And who wouldn’t want that for Advent.
Tada!