We were inside but it was beautiful weather. Sunny and very warm for this time of the year in Indiana. It made it hard to think of snow and Christmas. So the holiday items I had worked on did not sell very well. I have not been doing the craft shows for very long but I have learned that you never really know what will be selling that day. With Halloween over I almost did not to take my spider creations but at the last minute I chose to grab them. I am so glad I did. I sold several different spider creations but it was a conversation with a nice lady that taught me something I wanted to share with you.
The lady pointed at one of the spiders and said, "oh look a Christmas spider." She told me she wasn't sure how the story went but that spiders are really the reason we put tinsel on Christmas trees. That made me very curious so when I got home I did a search and here is what I found.
The Christmas Spiders
Once upon a time a long time ago. A mother was busy cleaning her home for the most wonderful day of the year. The day they decorated for the celebration of the Christ child. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spider webs were wiped out of their cozy corners sending the spiders fleeing for the attic.
T’was Christmas Eve at last! The tree was decorated and waiting for the Christ child to visit and bless the home. The poor spiders in the attic were frantic because they would not be present for the Christ child’s visit. The oldest spider suggested they creep back down and peek through a crack. Suddenly the door opened a wee bit and the spiders scurried into the room. Their eyes weren’t accustomed to the brightness of the room so they crept closer to the tree for a better look. It was so beautiful they began to climb over and around every branch of the tree until they had seen every pretty thing the mother had so carefully hung.
But every where the spiders had crawled left a web. The Christ child entered to bless the home. He looked at the tree and smiled. He loved the little spiders for they were God’s creatures too. He thought of the mother who had so carefully cleaned and decorated the tree for her children and He knew she would not be happy, so He touched the tree and the webs all turned to sparkling silver and gold!
Ever since we have hung tinsel on our Christmas trees, and according to the legend it is considered good luck to include a spider among the decorations on the tree.
(This is a folk legend from Germany and Ukraine
Sometimes it is chance and brief meetings of strangers that can bring a blessing into your life. I do not know this woman's name but I want to thank her for sharing this with me. It has brought me smile and I will not look at a Christmas tree or tinsel in the same way again. I am sure it will not make some of you like spiders any better but it is a reminder that God loves all creatures.
