 | ||||||
| ||||||
THE CHRISTMAS SPIDER LEGEND
A long time ago in Germany while a mother was busily cleaning house in preparation for the Christ child. Not a speck of dust was left! Even the spiders that usually stayed in the living room corner fled upstairs to the attic to escape the broom.
From the attic they could hear all the excitement from the living room as preparations were being made for when the Christ Child was to come on Christmas Eve and bless the house.
The spiders could hardly wait for everyone to go to bed so they could sneak back down to see the decorated tree, the spiders slowly crept downstairs for a view. Oh, what a beautiful tree! They could hardly believe it!
In their excitement they scurried up the trunk and along each branch. They were filled with happiness as they climbed all through the tree to see the glittering beauty.
But alas, by the time they were through climbing all over the tree, it was completely shrouded in their dusty gray spider web.
When the Christ Child came to bless the house, He smiled as he saw how happy the spiders were, but knew how heartbroken the mother would be if she saw the tree covered with the dusty webs.
So He blessed them turning them into silver and gold. The tree sparkled and shimmered and was even more beautiful than before.
Thus, the custom was born, to hang tinsel of silver and gold and to have a spider ornament amongst all other decorations on the Christmas Tree.
Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home.
~Carol Nelson
The first Christmas card was created in England on December 9, 1842.
