The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
- Clement Clarke Moore from "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (1823)
Part 1: Santa's Reindeer's Birthday! 🎅🏽 🦌
On December 23, 1823, a yuletide poem quietly appeared in a local newspaper, The Sentinel, of Troy, New York. There was no author’s name given. It just was a filler piece of copy on a slow press day, a verse titled, "A Visit from Saint Nicholas."
At the time, Santa wasn’t quite Santa yet. He was thinner, sterner, and often depicted on horseback. He was rather a patchwork figure drawn from Britain's Father Christmas, the Dutch Sinterklaas, and the fourth-century bishop, Saint Nicholas himself.
But this poem was a cultural Christmas disruptor!
You see, the anonymous bard gave Santa eight reindeer (with names!), a chimney entrance, a laugh, and a warmth which the Coca-Cola company cleverly illustrated as a trademark over a century later. Authorship was eventually claimed by Clement Clarke Moore and later questioned, but whoever penned the opus, its publication didn’t just give us a Christmas verse, it redesigned the culture of Christmas!
Part 2: A Hive Fireside Reading of "A Visit from St. Nicholas"
In the spirit of a Merry Hive Christmas, I have a relaxing treat for you. But you have to participate just a little. So, if you are where you can, get a pair of earphones 🎧 and pull up the best seat in the house.
I would like to read you the poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas."
This poem is in the public domain.
[ To Listen 🎧, long press on my photo.]
Part 3: Hive Christmas Stockings
Happy holidays, dear friends!
I've been in my design studio for the last five days creating Hive Christmas Stockings. They are based on the brilliant artwork of Hive Buzz, the Hive Project under the direction of 
Hive account@arcange. The cheerful artwork of the gamified Hive site for tracking our progress on the chain was created by 
Hive account@captaink.
The idea of creating bespoke Christmas stockings for those who so generously mentored me along in my Hive journey came as an idea that occurred to me last week whilst writing my post, My Baby Dolphin Came Early for Christmas 🍼🐬
If you didn't know this about me, I'm an Industrial Designer. I've designed buildings, residences, stores, lighting, furniture, fashion and even an app! After a career with a British design house, I founded one of my own with an architectural design focus in Texas, where the oil wells are deep and the pockets are deeper!
Doing that work required a mastery for managing lead times, that is, the time is takes between the client signing off on a commission and the reveal of the finished work. How I managed the design firm is that we'd except no new conventional work after 1 November, but rather only book appointments to review projects and pick up where we left off after Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas.
In the meantime, of course, we'd stay on top of the jobs in the pipeline, but all new work was devoted to creating beauty for the Christmas Season. I designed Christmas Trees to the tune of $10,000 USD. I designed architectural Christmas lighting that regulbrought a price tag of $20K. I designed bespoke garlands and greenery for posh interiors that would rival the cost of an Hermès Birkin Handbag.
With fingers on the laptop keyboard writing the Baby Dolphin post, I thought I'd design something as a sentimental keepsake for the dear Hivians from whom I've learned and whose advice I took to meet my goal. On this Nice List are for the most part, Hive friends I have met in person, some a few times IRL!
So, starting in order from beginner Red Fish on 
Hive account@hivebuzz, all the way up to the Goliath Whales, I bring you the Alessandra White 2025 Hive Christmas Stockings Collection.
Except for the HiveBuzz badges, the stocking designs, inclusive of all details belong to Alessandra White, IDSA | Copyright 2025, all rights reserved. AI was used for photographic renderings of original designs by commercial licence under the strict art direction of Alessandra White, IDSA.
Hive Red Fish Christmas Stockings
Designed for 
Hive account@adetorrent, my brilliant polyglot crew mate for Tokenize:LDN
Designed for 
Hive account@artemisnorth.com, a dear friend whose OG 
Hive account@artemisnorth account, on the chain since 2016, was found hi-jacked last week. She is bravely rebuilding her new easily recognised account with the kind support of the Hive community.
Hive Minnow Christmas Stockings
Designed for 
Hive account@bitterirony , my lifelong partner in shenanigans galore. Bitter and I came to Hive in 2022, onboarded by our dear friend, 
Hive account@shadowspub.
Designed for 
Hive account@epodcaster, who joined Hive account@shadowspub and me for the Web3-Blockchain TwitterSpace live audio show which became HiveSpace on X.com after I joined Hive.
Designed for 
Hive account@roswelborges, a new friend from Cuba who is a member of the 
Hive account@creativeworkhour crew who joins us everyday 100% asynchronously on the CWH Discord, because our daily live events are hosted on Zoom which is disallowed in his country. He is a amazing contributor to our small community.
Designed for 
Hive account@tibfox, a generous friend and incredible designer, whom I've met at two 
Hive account@buzzparty events, one in Hamburg 2024 where he invited me to speak, and in Graz 2025. Happily I'll get to see him again in Alicante for Hive Open Days this Spring.
Hive Dolphin Christmas Stockings
Designed for 
Hive account@grampo, whom I met for the first time in Las Vegas along with 
Hive account@crimsonclad and 
Hive account@starkerz at an event called Breathe, a Web3 conference. Grampo is an amazing educator for the chain. I'd love to share a stage with him one day.
Designed for 
Hive account@godfish, whom I met for the first time in Graz, Austria in the Spring of this year. In recent months we've crossed paths at Hive Discord shows and he's joined the Hive account@creativeworkhour community in our Discord. Once he single-handedly saved one of our CWH monthly Drive-in Movie parties!
Designed for 
Hive account@itharagaian, a new friend on Hive who supports my posts so elegantly. I look forward to learning more about their creative work.*
Designed for 
Hive account@mcsamm, whom I've met on a handful of occasions in the last two years. The first time we were to meet was at a Hive Meetup I planned and botched 🙈, so we missed each other. The next day, we tried again. No luck. Now, we're friends for life and enjoy sharing stages to represent Hive.
Designed for 
Hive account@mipiano, my multi-talented fellow musician friend whom I first met in Graz this year, then again in Kraków for 
Hive account@hivebeedevs at 
Hive account@krolestwo, and will meet again on her turf come Spring 2026 in Alicante for Hive Open Days.
Designed for Hive account@shadowspub, who is my bestie not just onchain, but offchain and IRL. Her coming into my life on that experimental Web3-Blockchain show I hosted on X.com, formerly TwitterSpaces, was nothing short of winning the friend lottery!
Designed for 
Hive account@stresskiller, my newest Dutch friend and helpful online Hive mentor. He's an asynchronous member of the 
Hive account@creatorworkhour community. That Hivian can make me laugh when I least expect it.
Designed for 
Hive account@thekittygirl, who is one of my key mentors to understanding all things blockchain. She is a dear friend and I enjoy every #PYPT show with her and Hive account@shadowspub, its founder and host. Kitty does more than I can fathom for the chain.
Hive Orca Christmas Stockings
Designed for Hive account@arcange, whom I first met at my first HiveFest in Roasarito, Mexico where we were both speakers. He's an insightful mentor and a truly beautiful human being. Hive is better because of him.
Designed for 
Hive account@brianoflondon, whom I first met as our guest on HiveSpace in 2022, then met him IRL in Rosarito. He's an ideal mentor, and I've yet to start learning podcasting in the Web3 space from him. A remarkable conversationalist.
Designed for 
Hive account@buttcoins, whom I met in Rosarito while we ate Bar-B-Q in a dusty cowboy town during a HiveFest outing. I spend time with him, Hive account@shadowspub, 
Hive account@meno often at HiveThrive. An all around nice guy and an a tireless Hive onboarder.
Designed for Hive account@crimsonclad, the most generous person I know on the chain. A born leader, teacher, and community defender. She let me shadow her like a little sister through 3 HiveFests and 2 international blockchain conferences. And she gives good gifts!
Designed for 
Hive account@detlev, whom I've met at five of the six Hive events I've been to as a speaker or a participant. He always makes me feel warmly welcomed. If he doesn't have a solution to a Hive problem I'm solving, he goes away and brings someone in who can. Quick on his feet, that one!
Designed for 
Hive account@guiltyparties, that OG Santa Claus himself who recruited me, a mere minnow to go to London to speak not just before innovators in the Web3 space, but to heads of government, including UK Members of Parliament and Peers of the House of Lords. His belief in me was unwavering.
*Designed for 
Hive account@livinguktaiwan, a fun-loving, community building wizard. We met in Graz this year and by Spring I know we'll manage at least one meetup. *
Designed for 
Hive account@melinda010100, whom I've yet to meet IRL, but since my first HiveFest in Rosarito when I was installing the Hive NFT show, she has always been there for me whenever I needed support. An amazing writer.
Designed for 
Hive account@ph1102, whom I met in Hamburg when we bonded over the experience of stage jitters. Since then, we met in Split for HiveFest, in Graz for Hive Creator Days, and Kraków for Hive account@hivebeedevs at Hive account@krolestwo. He, Hive account@mipiano and I did some serious hanging out in Poland. Those two are like family to me.
Designed for 
Hive account@roelandp, a fellow creative who trained me in Amsterdam to talk to devs by swinging from keyword to keyword to explain how Hive works. When I was down after my accident, and he was shatteringly busy, he helped me find a Plan B when I couldn't take the stage at HiveFest in Kuala Lampur. A heart of gold.
*Designed for 
Hive account@shanibeer, whom I am thoroughly enjoying getting to know. She is a new crew member to Hive account@creativeworkhour and a polymath with talents streaming out in all directions. We're cooking up an evil plan to both take trains to have a splendid lunch and maybe a museum visit after the Christmas holidays. *
Designed for Hive account@starkerz, whom I met because Hive account@shadowspub knew I'd learn a ton about Hive PDQ! Boy, was she right! He had me on a HiveFest stage and running a workshop before I knew what hit me. Keeping up with him will hasten your Hive knowledge acquisition like being in boot camp. I may have been panting, but he had faith in me.
Designed for 
Hive account@steevc, whom I met at a distance when he was at the first HiveFest after CoVid. I read his every post and became convinced that my path to becoming part of the Hive community would be through attending live events. I've met Steve five times already. His kind support has supercharged my Hive participation and know how.
Designed for 
Hive account@traciyork, who came on HiveSpace as our guest. She introduced me to Hive account@hivebuzz and told me about Power Up Day and the importance of staking HIVE for the overall health of the chain. I can dot a line from that conversation to the special day last week when I got my Baby Dolphin.
Hive Whale Christmas Stockings
Designed for 
Hive account@blocktrades, whom I met with his 
Hive account@alpha at HiveFests in Rosarito, Split, and Kuala Lampur. They are such a fun couple to hang out with and when he breaks into Hive shop talk, I gawk in amazement.
Designed for 
Hive account@gtg, who's got mad, mad skills and a wicked sense of humour. He's one of those Hive legends that can save the chain one moment and take you for pierogies the next.
*Designed for 
Hive account@theycallmedan, who took the time to take me, a red fish who was too new to know she was a red fish, for a beach side lunch along with his running buddy, to talk to me about Hive and about how I could contribute to HiveFest as a sponsor, a speaker, a workshop leader, or a NFT showroom organiser. I said, "yes, I'll do it all!"
In Closing
You see, the best gifts for me this Christmas are these precious friends, all different in personalities, approach, and focus, who have two things in common. They all love Hive and showed longstanding faith in me to be here, be seen, and be heard.
So to all you on my Nice List and to the Hive friends I'm only getting to know or haven't yet, I wish you a truly Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
With love, 🥰
Alessandra
