On Yule eve, a long time ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year… Yule day, the day on which the little God child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner on the ceiling. They had fled to the farthest corner of the attic.
The Yule tree was beautifully decorated. The poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the little God child’s visit. Then the oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could wait until everyone went to bed and then get a closer look.
When the house was dark and silent, the spiders crept out of their hiding place. When they neared the Yule tree, they were delighted with the beauty of it. The spiders crept all over the tree, up and down, over the branches and twigs and saw every one of the pretty things.
The spiders loved the Yule tree. All night long they danced in the branches, leaving them covered with spider webs. In the morning, when the little God child came to bless the house, he was dismayed! He loved the little spiders for they were Goddess’s creatures, but he knew the mother, who had worked so hard to make everything perfect, would not be pleased when she saw what the spiders had done.
With love in his heart and a smile on his lips, the little God child reached out and gently touched the spider webs. The spider webs started to sparkle and shine! They had all turned into sparkling, shimmering silver and gold.
According to legend, ever since this happened, people have hung tinsel on their Yule trees. It has also become a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the Yule tree.