In case you didn’t catch it from my first name 🙂 , I am of Ukrainian heritage.  When I can across this picture and description on Neatorama, I had to share it. Though my mother and baba (grandmother) did a great job teaching me about my heritage, somehow I never heard this story.

Ukrainians hide a spider web ornament on their tree and it is supposed to be good luck for the person who finds it.

The story behind the tradition is that an old widow had no money to decorate her tree and went to bed upset that her children would have an undecorated tree the next day. While she was asleep, a spider decorated the tree with a beautiful web. When the first light of day hit the webs, they turned to silver and gold and the widow and her children never went longing again.

Click here for longer description of the significance of spiders—or ‘pavuchky’—in Ukrainian culture.

Your Turn

Does your family or culture have a unique Christmas tradition?  If so, leave me a comment!