The highly exaggerated Santa Claus legend started with Saint Nicholas.  St. Nick is supposed to have helped some poor women without a dowry get married by providing one.  He did this by throwing bags of gold coins into open windows at night.  It was claimed that some of these landed in shoes or stockings, so others started putting shoes and stocking by the bedroom window in hopes of catching a bag of gold.  This evolved into hanging stockings by the chimney to collect small gifts, candy, and fruit.