The Legend Of The Christmas Spider

This Legend comes from both Germany and Ukraine

Once upon a time, a long time ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year ... the day on which the Christ-Child would come to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had vanished from their cozy corner in the ceiling to avoid the housewife's busy cleaning. They finally fled to the farthest corner of the attic.

Twas Christmas Eve at last! The tree was decorated and waiting for the children to see it. But the poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the Christ-Child's visit. But the oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could peek through the crack in the door to see Him. Silently, they crept out of the attic, down the stairs, and across the floor to wait in the crack in the threshold. Suddenly, the door opened a wee bit and quickly the spiders scurried into the room. They must see the tree closely, since their eyes weren't accustomed to the brightness of the room. So they crept all over the tree, up and down, and over every branch and twig, until they had seen every one of the pretty things. At last they had satisfied themselves completely of the Christmas tree's beauty.

But alas! Everywhere they had been, they had left webs, and when the Christ-Child came to bless the house he was dismayed. He loved the little spiders for they were God's creatures too, but He knew the mother, who had trimmed the tree for the children would not feel the same ... so he touched the webs and they all turned into sparkling, shimmering strands of silver and gold.

Since that time we have hung tinsel on our Christmas trees, and according to the Legend, it has become a custom to include spider among decorations on the tree.