The Legend of the Christmas Spider

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Christmas is just about a week away, Tri-County Pest Control fans!  That being said, we would like to share with you today one of our favorite folk stories about the holiday season, in the hopes that it’ll show you that while some bugs are scary, most do not wish you direct harm.  Keep on reading to hear about the old Legend of the Christmas Spider!

Here’s the scene: It’s Christmas Eve in Eastern Europe.  A poor widowed mother and her children are preparing for Christmas day, and are trying to decorate the tree they have with what little they have to work with.  The mother tries to make the best of the situation, but the children are upset that they don’t have much to put on the tree.

A spider, who is living in the same hut overhears this conversation, and wanting to spread a bit of holiday joy, decides to take it upon himself to decorate the tree for the family.  So, when everyone is fast asleep, he drops down from the ceiling and begins to weave his web all around the tree, making sure that every branch is covered. After a few hours, the spider surveys his work, and upon seeing that the tree is fully spun with his web, he is satisfied and climbs back to the ceiling to watch the reaction of the children in the morning.

When dawn comes, the children wake and see to their surprise that the tree is decorated with the spider’s web.  As a ray of light pierces through the window, the webs turn into gold and silver! The children and their mother are extremely overjoyed, and thanks to the spider’s deed, never have to live in poverty again.

Many cite this tale as the origin of tinsel on Christmas trees, and continues the European tradition that spiders bring luck with them.  Indeed, many trees in Eastern Europe will have a web or spider ornament on them to bring luck for the coming year, and continue the tradition of appreciating spiders—not fearing them.

Spiders can sure be scary, and while they are a few out there that can cause home, most help you out by performing their own version of pest control.  However, this is not the lesson here. Instead, we are here to just share a tale with you, and show how in the season of giving, there is something that everyone can do to make the world a little bit of a better place.

Enjoy your holiday!

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