Dear Valued Client,

 

Have you ever wondered where the ornaments on a Christmas tree come from? The lights, the beads, the baubles, the candy canes? What about tinsel? Whose idea was it to string long strands of silvery thread onto a tree?

 

Recently, we came across an old folktale that may explain where the tradition comes from. We found it so charming, and so in the spirit of the season, we thought you might like to read it too.

 

The Christmas Spider

 

There once was a poor but hardworking widow who lived in a small hut with her three children. Every day, the four worked hard to improve their lot and earn a little money they could set aside. The mother sewed and mended clothes for passing travelers. The children collected hens’ eggs, cows’ milk, and firewood to sell in the village. But despite these efforts, their circumstances never managed to improve.

 

Even still, the mother refused to lose heart. “All will be well,” she said to her children, “so long as we look after each other.”

 

In the corner of the house lived an old, gray spider on its web. It never bothered anyone, being content only to eat the flies that fell into its snare. The mother, recognizing a fellow weaver, left the spider alone and in peace. Times were hard enough without anybody needing to make trouble for someone else.

 

One summer day, the mother, always taking stock of the seasons, asked her children what they wanted for Christmas. “It is still months away,” she said, “but we must start setting aside now if you are to have anything at all.”

 

“A Christmas tree!” her children cried. “A tree to decorate! A tree to dance around! A tree that will sparkle in the sunlight!”

 

At this, the mother’s heart fell, for she knew the only pine – a tall and shaggy one that overhang their hut – was far too big to fell, and there were no other groves for miles that did not belong to someone else. So, instead, she promised them a few sweets as she could afford.

 

“All will be well,” she told them, in response to their pleas, “so long as we look after each other.” But when she went to bed that night, her sleep was poor and troubled.

 

The widow was not the only one to find sleep hard to come by. In the corner, the spider pondered and planned.

 

The next morning, the spider crept out of the hut and up the tall pine that stood nearby. “There is a small hole in the widow’s ceiling,” the spider said. “If you drop a pinecone through it, I will chase away the beetles that seek to bore through your wood.”

 

“Agreed,” the tree said, and dropped the pinecone straight through the hole. It quickly took root in the earthen floor, and when the family returned from the village that day, they found a small tree sprouting inside their home.

 

“A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!” the children shouted. “Can we take what money we have and use it for decorations?”

 

Puzzled but happy, the mother agreed. So, for the next several months, the family tended the fir, excited that it would be a full-sized Christmas tree by winter. Sure enough, the tree grew and flourished. Its trunk was thick, its branches strong, its needles as green as you could wish.

 

But when winter arrived, it arrived bleak and hard. Travelers were few and far between. No one in the village had money to spare. So, the mother was forced to use what little she’d saved just for food, or to repair their hut against winter storms. When Christmas Eve arrived, the family could not afford to decorate their tree. Again, the mother tried to raise their spirits. “All will be well,” she said, “so long as we look after each other.” But the children sadly went to bed and fell asleep while their mother tossed and turned.

 

The widow was not the only one to find sleep hard to come by. In the corner, the spider pondered and planned…until the fire died down and shadows filled every crook and cranny.

 

Then the spider crept over to the tree. It climbed from one branch to another, round and round, up and down, weaving and winding until every branch was covered.

 

The next morning, Christmas Day dawned bright. As the children yawned and stretched, the mother rose and threw back the shutters. Then, as the first rays of sunlight streamed in on the tree, the children looked and saw the webs the spider weaved, glistening like tinsel.

 

“Look, the Christmas tree is decorated!” they shouted. “See how it sparkles in the sun!” And together they held hands and danced around the decorated tree, just as they had wished.

 

I told you all would be well,” the mother said, with a glance toward the corner, “so long as we look after each other.” And indeed, all was well forever after, as the family never knew such poverty again…and always kept to each other.

 

We hope you enjoyed this story. May your Christmas be spent in the warmth of your home, with a beautiful tree to decorate and dance around, surrounded by the people you love.

 

For in the end, that’s what really makes Christmas magical, isn’t it? Not gadgets and trinkets…but always looking after each other. (Still, a little tinsel doesn’t hurt either.)

 

On behalf of everyone at The Omell Financial Group, we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!

 

 

Sincerely yours,

 

The Omell Financial Group

 

Sourced from Bill Good Letters Library