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What could make a more adorable stocking stuffer than a tiny, sleeping newborn baby? A group of volunteers known as the Blue Bird Auxiliary has long understood the sheer sweetness of this idea and has made it a reality for decades, much to the delight of new parents and onlookers.
Babies born during the 12 days before Christmas at Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, are nestled in Christmas stockings before being sent home with their parents. It is a tradition that goes back more than five decades. The babies also get a matching red-and-white-striped stocking hat.
A video posted to the hospital’s Facebook page shows some of the 2020 Christmas newborns sweetly tucked into their stockings:
Volunteers have been crafting the baby-sized stockings since 1964. In fact, the original Christmas stocking newborn has since become a well-known local.
“The Blue Bird Sewing Committee had a fantastic morning being recognized for their long-standing tradition of making stockings for babies to go home in,” Blue Bird Auxiliary shared on Facebook. “Channel 4 Meteorologist Siohbain Anders joined us for the interview. She was the first baby ever back in 1964 to go home in a Blue Bird stocking.”
The organization, which started as the Blue Birds of Laurel Heights by a small church group in 1920, serves four Methodist Hospital facilities in the San Antonio area. Volunteers “interested in giving freely of themselves to help alleviate the suffering of mankind by performing their duties willingly with love and compassion” work together on special projects for patients.
Along with the baby stockings, the Blue Birds volunteer for many other projects, such as answering phones at the hospital, working at the gift shop and greeting patients.
Although volunteers usually deliver the stockings directly, in 2020, they were given to the nurses instead because of COVID-19 visiting restrictions.
The hospital hasn’t posted photos of this year’s newborns yet, but we have a feeling they’re being tucked into stockings now, just like they have been since 1964.
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