Spiders and spider webs are used to decorate Christmas Trees in the Ukraine as they are seen as symbols of good luck and fortune from the following legend.

There once was a widow, who lived in a small hut. One day a pinecone dropped on the floor and it took root. Her children were excited that they would have a tree for Christmas. All summer long they made plans on how they would decorate the tree. They were very poor, so poor that they did not have anything to decorate the tree with. The widow went to bed on Christmas Eve knowing that the tree would not be decorated. Early on Christmas morning, the woman was awakened by her children.

"Mother, mother wake up and see the tree it is beautiful!" The mother arose and saw that during the night a spider had spun a web around the tree. The youngest child opened the window to the first light of Christmas Day. As the shafts of the sun crept along the floor, it touched one of the threads of the spider web and instantly the web was changed into gold and silver. And from that day forward the widow never wanted for anything.

It would seem that spiders are also responsible for silver tinsel. Another legend has a family cleaning their house top to bottom in readiness for Christmas. The spiders of the house are forced into the attic. The spiders are frantic; they will not see the Christmas tree nor the arrival of the Christ Child who comes at Christmas to bless the family. The spiders wait until everyone is bed, then sneak out of the attic. They dance in the Christmas tree with delight, but leave their webs all over it.

When the Christ child comes he is torn. He loves God’s little creatures, but also knows all about the work the family has done to make the house so tidy. In the morning the family find that their tree is decorated with stands of real silver.

Did you know that In Australia we have our own very Christmas Spider?

Read more

http://www.brama.com/art/christmas.html

http://www.ukrainianmuseum.org/shop/display.php?cartid=200910290000002&zid=1&lid=1&psku=67-5971&mode=sp

http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/catw2004/traditions/countries/ukraine.html

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/treeornaments/a/christmasspiderl.htm

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