When my mom was a child, she always hung a glittery spider on her family’s Christmas tree. When she grew up, she asked her mom why, but my grandmother could only say that she had done it as a child in Hungary. Recently, I stumbled across a Christmas book that explained the European tradition of the Christmas spider, and now my family’s Christmas tree sports one as well.
There are lots of American traditions surrounding the holidays, but if you’ve grown tired of hiding your Elf on the Shelf, try introducing your family to one (or more) of these Christmas traditions from across the world. I bet you’ll find that while they’re fun, they’re also a good reminder of the reason we celebrate Christmas. By the time you finish reading, you might just want to add one of those creepy crawlers to your tree!
1. Hang the spider!
You’ll find a spider hanging in Christmas trees at the homes of many families of Eastern European origin. The most popular legends surrounding this tradition are varied and come from several different countries. In one version from Ukraine, a widow was too poor to decorate her Christmas tree, so a spider used its webbing, creating the first “tinseled” tree. In our favorite tale about this tradition, the spider weaved a web over the cave where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph hid during their flight into Egypt. My kids love hunting for the spider each year, and since it’s a short and sweet tradition, we have happily substituted it for Holly, our family Elf on the Shelf.
Beauty can be found in simple and often unexpected places during Christmas. The Christmas spider is a great visual reminder of that.
2. Be a light.
St. Lucy’s Day, celebrated on December 13, commemorates the courage of a young woman who gave up her life rather than denying her faith. St. Lucy’s Day is celebrated all over the world, but some of the best traditions come from Europe. In Italian homes, families often bake sweet rolls and bread to be eaten with breakfast. Then they take the leftovers to neighbors and friends. In Swedish families, the oldest girl often dresses in a white robe and wears an evergreen crown with candles. (Don’t worry. They’re battery-operated.) She then leads the rest of her family to the dining room to eat the bread they’ve prepared.
Celebrating St. Lucy’s Day is a wonderful reminder to everyone that we are called to be lights in an often-dark world, just like Jesus Christ.
3. Get your shoes ready!
The legend of Santa Claus is actually based on the stories surrounding the life of St. Nicholas, a bishop who lived in the fourth century in modern-day Turkey. According to legend, St. Nicholas met a man who couldn’t provide a dowry for his three daughters. At night, St. Nicholas tossed his own inheritance into the girls’ stockings, which hung below their window. Now, in many European countries, families leave out their shoes or stockings on the night of December 5 to be filled with chocolates and coins by St. Nick.
St. Nicholas Day is a wonderful reminder of the need for generosity toward the less fortunate. If you already put out stockings, you could do a random act of kindness together as a family to celebrate.
4. Watch for the angels.
In 20th century Hungary, Santa didn’t visit houses to leave presents, angels did. When I was growing up, my mom merged the Hungarian and American traditions. She told us the gifts we got on Christmas Eve were from the Christmas angels, who visited my grandparents’ house before we arrived for Christmas Eve dinner.
My mom included the Christmas angels to remind me of the presence of the angels at the first Christmas over 2000 years ago.
5. Bake a cake—but not just any cake!
In Mexico and other Latin American countries, Three Kings Day, called Dia de los Tres Reyes, is celebrated with nearly as much fanfare as Christmas Day itself. This holiday, celebrated on January 6, commemorates the visit of the three wise men, or kings, to the infant Jesus. Three Kings Day is the final day of the 12 days of Christmas. Many Mexican families celebrate by baking and eating sweet bread called “king cake.” They add the wise men to their family nativity sets and have community parades. In our family, we save one final gift for each child to be given on Three Kings Day.
Dia de los Tres Reyes is a great way to keep the holiday spirit alive as you move into the drearier, colder days of January.
What was one of your favorite childhood Christmastime traditions? Did your family celebrate any Christmas traditions from across the world?
