Satan at Christmas time

We have two sets of Christmas stocking hangers in our home. One set features words like Joy, Peace and Noel. They sit atop the mantle with small hooks dangling just below the mantle from which stockings can be hung.

They are quite beautiful.

The second set consists of five letters that spell the word Santa. Each letter also has a hook from which stockings can be hung.

They are also lovely.

Both sets are cast in a luminescent metallic sheen that captures and reflects the colored light from the Christmas tree beautifully.

Since we typically hang stockings for the three human beings and the two pets in our home, the Santa stocking hangers have been the hanger of choice for the past few years.

Five hangers for five stockings.

This year my wife chose the alternate set of hangers, doubling up stockings on a single hanger rather than using the set with a hanger for each stocking.

I was disappointed. I much prefer the Santa hangers.

Not for their beauty or utility, mind you, but because when my wife isn’t looking, I like to rearrange the letters on the mantle so that they spell Satan instead.

Sometimes days went by before she noticed the switcheroo.

And perhaps this is why we are using the alternate set this year…