Lump of Coal for Christmas

I came across an interesting story on the connection of coal with Christmas.  As we know, our Western culture legend has it that naughty children wake up Christmas morning to find their stockings filled with lumps of coal instead of the desired toys and delicacies.  The negative association between coal and Christmas dates back thousands of years.  In folklore, people's homes are entered via the fireplace, bearing gifts for well-deserving boys and girls and coal for the badly behaved.