Southern Living
The legend of the Christmas spider has ties to tinsel, but comes with a whimsical tale (or four) which likely found their way from Ukraine. Regardless of where this bit of festive folklore originated, the tradition of the Christmas spider now lives on in homes across the world where a tiny spider or web ornament is tucked within the branches of a holiday spruce. Spiders, preferably the ornamental kind, are said to bring luck in the new year, which is why many still hang them on their trees each season. More
Video of the Legend of the Christmas Spider. Here
I have a Christmas Nail that was given to me by an ex girlfriends mother.
It’s literally a large old fashioned cut steel nail with a hole drilled through it and a ribbon passed through the hole to hang from a limb towards the bottom of the tree near the base. Only you and those who know of the nail are to know it’s there.
I only spent one Christmas with her and her Mom was a nut but adored me. The nails in the bottom of my decorations box but I still have it after almost 40 years.
Didn’t make this up. Search “Christmas Nail tree trimming tradition”.
We hung tinsel, the heavy kind that got balled up after Christmas for the cat to play with. Never heard of that story. People make up stories for anything.
We learned about the legend and made Christmas spiders out of styrofoam balls, pipe cleaners, and sequins when I was in first grade nearly a half century ago. Still have mine, the worse for wear having survived numerous vicious housecat attacks over the years. Upper midwest and many of Russian and Ukrainian descent live here.