The Legend of the Christmas Spider (Creepmas Day 8)

We had went out shopping to some of our local shops this weekend. We ended up at a little furniture boutique in a nearby town that was decorated like no store I have ever seen. This store sales HIGH END furniture to a select clientele that can afford it, but we wanted to see what all they had, especially the decorations. They were selling a beautiful 9 foot tree, fully decorated with crystal snowflakes and silver icicles for $5000 dollars.....so we can assume we are not that target clientele.

M did come across a small white tree that was covered with jeweled spiders. Each spider came with a little slip of paper telling the story of the Christmas Spider. Thanks to M, I am now the proud owner of a Christmas Spider and I now pass the legend on to you. Enjoy!

An old Folk Legend from far away Germany tells us The Legend of the Christmas Spider.  

 Once upon a time, long ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year. The day on which the Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner in the ceiling to avoid the housewife's busy cleaning. They finally fled to the farthest corner of the attic.

 Twas Christmas Eve at last! The tree was decorated and waiting for the children to see it. But the poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the Christ child's visit. The oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could peep through the crack in the door to see him.  

 Silently they crept out of their attic, down the stairs, and across the floor to wait in the crack in the threshold. Suddenly, the door opened a wee bit and quickly the spiders scurried into the room. They must see the tree closely, since their eyes weren't accustomed to the brightness of the room, so they crept all over the tree, up and down over every branch and twig and saw each one of the pretty things.

 At last they had satisfied themselves completely of the Christmas tree’s beauty, but alas! Everywhere they went they had left their webs, and when the little Christ child came to bless the house he was dismayed. He loved the little spiders, for they were God’s creatures, too, but he knew the mother, who had trimmed the tree for the little children, wouldn't feel the same, so he touched the webs and they all turned to sparkling, shimmering, silver and gold!

Ever since that time, we have hung tinsel on our Christmas trees and, according to the legend, it has been a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the tree.