THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS SPIDERS

Only one more week until it will be Christmas! I wish you all great tidings of comfort and joy! Today, my husband and I spent the afternoon with his mothers side of the family celebrating their yearly Christmas get together. Its so wonderful to be able to spend time with family and enjoy the spirit of Christmas time. During this time of year, I always think back to the Christmas' spent with my family when I was a child. Every year, my mother would make a special ornament for all of our friends and family to hang on their tree. One year she made little spider webs out of wire, glitter, and crystals. I remember how beautiful they were, I just loved them. Along with the ornament was a little story of the legend of the Christmas spiders. To this day, it is one of my very favorite Christmas stories. I hope you enjoy, and maybe think about adding a little tinsel or spider web to your Christmas tree this year!

THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS SPIDERS

Long, long ago, on one Christmas Eve, the spiders were banished from homes while the houses were cleaned for Christmas and their webs were broken. They just managed to survive and had to move to the farthest corner of the attic for the time being. However, some of the young spiders longed to see the decorated Christmas trees and Chris Kringle who would come to bless the homes in the midnight. The elders tried to make them understand that they were not allowed inside the rooms but the young spiders were quite curious and adamant. Finally, the oldest and wisest spider came up with a solution and suggested that in the night, when everybody went to bed, perhaps they could creep out of their corners and get a closer look of the magical Christmas tree.

Even the adult spiders felt the thrill of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them and in midnight, when the house of a noble family was dark and silent and everybody was fast asleep, spiders crept out of their hiding place and slowly reached the Christmas tree. They were so captivated by the ethereal beauty that they spent all night in the tree, crawling up and down and examining its beautiful ornaments. They could not curb their urge to weave pretty and delicate spider webs all over the tree as they danced on its branches. In the wee hours of the morning, Chris Kringle came to bless the house. He was surprised to find little spiders and their webs on the tree.

He knew that every creature was made by God and yet he knew how the mother who had worked hard all day to make everything perfect would be dismayed to find the spider webs on its tree. Thus, with a heart full of love and a lovely bewitching smile on his lips, Chris Kringle gently touched the spider webs and set them sparkling and shining in silver and golden colors that made the Christmas tree look even more beautiful than before. It is said that this is how tinsel was introduced to decorate Christmas trees. Some people also hang a plastic spider in remembrance of the devoted little spiders who worked hard that Christmas Eve.