Recently I learned of a Christmas tradition with a connection to a very common animal and one that deserves a little bit of a boost. Have you heard of the Christmas spider? Do you have one on your tree? Are you shaking your head in disbelief, wondering what on earth a spider has to do with Christmas? Well read on!
In eastern Ukraine, there’s a legend about a woman who lived in a simple, dirt-floor hut with her two children. One day a pinecone fell from a nearby tree and ended up in their house, taking root. Soon a small pine tree was growing in their house. The children were excited as Christmas approached, thinking that finally they’d get to have a Christmas tree! But as the day approached, they had no money for decorations and so went to bed on Christmas Eve sad and crying. Some spiders who lived in the house heard the children’s cries and went down to see how they could help. They crawled all over the evergreen branches, leaving trails of silk everywhere they went. In the morning when the children awoke, they opened the curtains and sunlight shone in on the tree, lighting up all of the webs and turning them to strands of silver and gold. The woman and her children never wanted for anything again.
And this is why some people hang tinsel on a Christmas tree! And in Ukraine, this is why it’s considered good luck to find a spider in your house and especially on your holiday tree. Many people add a Christmas spider ornament to their tree, hoping for a bit of good luck. Who doesn’t need that around the holidays? Did you know that all spiders can make silk–even though all spiders DON’T build webs, and that they leave a silk trail (dragline) wherever they go? Or that most spiders have 8 eyes?!
And just in case some of you HAVE heard of the Christmas spider and a different legend, I’ll tell you that one too, as there seems to be two different versions of the story. In the second version, a woman lives in a house with her children and is preparing for the holidays. She is dusting, and sweeping and cleaning all of the cobwebs from the corners of the rooms. The spiders seek refuge in the attic, happy to get away from the woman’s frantic cleaning. The Christmas tree is decorated with dozens of beautiful ornaments and twinkling lights. As soon as the children and woman go to bed the spiders come out from their hiding places to inspect the tree. They crawl across all of the branches, looking closely at the beautiful ornaments, and leaving in their wake, their tell-tale lines of silk everywhere they go. When Santa (or Christ, depending on the story) comes into the room and sees the cobwebs covering the tree he knows the woman will be unhappy so turns them into strands of silver and gold that twinkle and dance when the light hits them just right. The woman and her children wake to find their Christmas tree far more beautiful than when they went to bed.
Which version do you like best? Do YOU have a Christmas spider on your tree? Do you add tinsel?
And now my friends, this is a good time to wish you a happy holiday! I hope you and all of your loved ones have a wonderful holiday filled with things that bring a smile to your face and fill you with joy. May you make time for things and people that are important to you and may you notice and revel in all of the wonders that Mother Nature offers, just outside of your doors. There’s so much beauty out there if we just look closely and open ourselves up to being present. Here’s hoping 2022 is filled with love, laughter, good health and lots of great adventures.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night