What Is A Christmas Spider And Where Did The Tradition Come From?

Christmas spider tales are many, but all center on good fortune.

Last year I found a giant, and I mean absolutely gargantuan, spider in my laundry the day after we brought our Christmas tree home from the lot. I was convinced the baby tarantula (or so I called it) had been a passenger on the S.S. Fraser Fir that sat in the living room just steps from the mudroom and my massive piles of laundry. I counted myself lucky that I didn’t accidentally pick it up along with my pile of whites. It turns out the whole discovery might have been luckier if I had found the spider on our actual tree instead.

The legend of the Christmas spider has ties to tinsel, but comes with a whimsical tale (or four) which likely found their way from Ukraine. Regardless of where this bit of festive folklore originated, the tradition of the Christmas spider now lives on in homes across the world where a tiny spider or web ornament is tucked within the branches of a holiday spruce. Spiders, preferably the ornamental kind, are said to bring luck in the new year, which is why many still hang them on their trees each season.

Pick up one ornament or a whole collection, and choose your adventure with these legends of the Christmas spider.

The Spider's Gift Of A Web

The first story, begins with a pinecone that had started to grow into a pine just outside the home of a widow and her children. It was summer and the children were filled with joy at the thought of growing a tree in time for Christmas. Once Christmas Eve arrives, the tree is bare as the family didn’t have enough money to buy decorations.

When the suffering family wake on Christmas morning, a spider has covered the tree in cobwebs, which miraculously turn into gilded strands of silver and gold when touched by the early morning light from a nearby window. The widow is filled with gratitude for all that she had, and all that is gifted her family from that day forward.

A Sparkling Spider Christmas

The theme of the tree glistening with the aid of the spider is what strikes a chord here. And why? The answer is our much beloved tree tinsel, whose origins appear to be decidedly spider-driven, according to the tale. This Eastern European story also exists in Scandinavia, with a presence in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. We are treated to a story of bounty when the spider's efforts morph into silver and gold, but part of the story's sentiment comes with the benefits of aiding others.

Another version focuses on two mothers, one a spider and the other a peasant woman. They both give to the other, with the peasant allowing the spider and her family to live among the branches of their Christmas tree. The mama spider, in turn, repays the favor by decorating the tree with gorgeous, shimmering webs that cover the branches.

Folklore Worthy Of An Opera

A more modern take on the Christmas spider legend is currently being developed into a performance by the American Opera Project. The story surrounds a poor woodcutter and his children who are cold and hungry one Christmas Eve night. At odds with their landlady who is threatening to take their home, they meet a spider who not only brings a miracle, but brings them closer together. It’s a little bit of A Christmas Carol, but with a twist.

Composer Clint Borzoni admits that his inspiration in writing this opera has everything to do with traditional holiday programming such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Frosty the Snowman. "I hope that when people see the show, they get that warm, fuzzy feeling," he says. The story of the Christmas spider has come a long way, but the touching notion of what it means to have the help that is needed during the holidays, endures.

Santa's Happy Ending

The final tale begins with a tree covered in spider webs, but Santa is the one who gets all the glory. When he drops down the chimney to scatter gifts for the children, he observes a Christmas tree covered in gray webs left by happy spiders who have traveled down from the dusty attic to behold the spruce. While weaving the webs, the spiders have left a trail of attic dust with each strand. Santa turns the once gray webs into glorious silver strands of tinsel.

If you're intrigued enough to start your own spider tradition for the holidays, you will not be disappointed. Options in spider tree décor abound, and from here on out, you will look at your tinsel just a little differently. From folklore surrounding tinsel tinsel to pickles to spiders and their webs, the traditions surrounding our favorite holiday décor seem to grow every year. Thankfully, we are always here for a good story—and yet another reason to go ornament shopping.

For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.