The Legend of the Christmas Spider

I know what you are thinking....spiders?!  At Christmas?! Spiders are for Halloween.  Well, not in all parts of the world.  There are stories in Eastern Europe, usually from the Ukraine, that tell of a Christmas spider and people will include a spider ornament on their Christmas tree.


There is more than one story out there, so you can choose your favorite.

Version One:

A poor but hardworking widow once lived in a small hut with her children. One summer day, a pine cone fell on the earthen floor of the hut and took root. The widow's children cared for the tree, excited at the prospect of having a Christmas tree by winter. The tree grew, but when Christmas Eve arrived, they could not afford to decorate it. The children sadly went to bed and fell asleep. Early the next morning, they woke up and saw the tree covered with cobwebs. When they opened the windows, the first rays of sunlight touched the webs and turned them into gold and silver. The widow and her children were overjoyed. From then on, they never lived in poverty again.

Version Two:
A long time ago a mother was cleaning for Christmas. Spiders fled up to the attic to escape the broom. On quiet Christmas Eve, the spiders slowly came down for a peek.  "Oh, what a beautiful tree!" In excitement, they scurried up and out along each branch. They were filled with happiness as they climbed amongst the glittering beauty. But alas! By the time they were done, the tree was shrouded in their dusty, grey web. When Santa came with gifts for the children and saw the tree covered with spider webs, he smiled because he saw how happy the spiders were, but knew how heartbroken the mother would be if she saw it covered in dusty webs.  So he turned the webs into strands of silver and the tree was even more beautiful than before. That's the story of tinsel on trees and why every tree should have a Christmas spider in its branches.

Version Three:
The story is about two mothers—one a peasant woman, the other a mama spider—both struggling to provide for their young children. On Christmas Eve, the woman went into the forest and came back with a small fir to serve as a Christmas tree. She discovered that a spider had made a home for her babies among the fir’s branches, but the woman didn’t have the heart to sweep them away. The spider discovered that the woman was too poor to decorate the tree, let alone place presents beneath it, and hatched a plan out of gratitude and kindness. Later that night, when the woman and her children went to bed, the spider spun sparkling webs all throughout the fir tree’s branches. In the morning, the children woke up to the thrilling sight of a Christmas tree draped in the most exquisite, shimmering gossamer!

Do you have a spider ornament on your tree?  Of course, I have TWO on mine....one on a web and the other by itself.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!!

2018 Holiday Gift Wish List

It's that time of year again!  Do you have an arthropod lover in your family?  If so, then here are some great gift ideas!

Metal "beetle" art piece by Paul Sumner.

First up is an art piece that I find utterly charming.  The artist is Paul Sumner and you can find his work here. I think that he calls his pieces beetles, but I think they look more like cockroaches (big shock why I love them....).  I found this one particularly unique because it is made from a can of Black Flag insecticide.  What can be more ironic?

Cicada brooch by Molly Burgess Designs.

The next one is fiber art cicada brooch by Molly Burgess Designs.  You can find her items on both Instagram and Etsy.  She has both larger plush items that you can hang on the wall, or smaller plush items that can be worn as a brooch.  She also takes custom orders if you are interested in that.  I am awaiting the piece that I ordered from her and very much looking forward to it!

Bee spoon ring by Spoonier.

Item number three is a piece of jewelry- a bee spoon ring- from an artist that I purchased from earlier in the year (my items had a dragon and griffin on them instead of insects).  Spoonier takes antique spoons and turns them into spoon rings and bracelets.  You can find their items for sale on Etsy, but you can also follow them on Instagram.

Plush spider by Alvamade Toys.

Alvamade Toys makes plush toys and sells on Etsy.  I love her plush spiders!  You can also follow her on Instagram here.  She not only makes plush spider toys, but also other items such as Pokemon, mushrooms, owls, raccoons, pigs, cows, and various other creatures.

Butterfly wing pendant by Elemental Urchin.

If you are looking for a necklace charm, Elemental Urchin has created beautiful pendants that encase butterfly wings.  She also has some really cute whales, octopodes, and other creatures.  You can buy her items on Etsy and follow here on Instagram here.

Pillbugs by Art by Ariel.

The next item is another clever piece of art that my husband came across. It's from Art by Ariel and she sells on Society 6 here and you can follow her on Instagram here.  I love the print because it's such a good pun.....get it? .....Pillbugs.....

Yellies! by Hasbro.

The last item is mass-produced, but still fantastic.  One of the "hot toys" of the season is called a Yellies!  It's a mechanical plush spider, but that's not all.  Apparently, the more you yell at it, the faster it moves.  That's some serious therapy for arachnophobes out there!


Here's hoping that you have a wonderful holiday season!