Dedicated Hosting - Holidays

 Christmas Legends From Around The World

The Legend of Baboushka

Before the Russian revolution of 1917 the most well known gift giver in the country was an old woman known as Baboushka. She had no family and very few visitors but her house was large resulting in her spending most of her time cleaning, cooking, spinning and mending.

One evening as she was scrubbing her floors, she heard the sound of trumpets coming from outside. When she looked out the window she saw three, finely dressed noblemen approaching. She thought nothing of it until she heard them knock at her door.

"We are traveling to Bethlehem" they said. "To find the Child who is born a King. Won't you come with us to find Him?"

She replied by telling them that her floors needed cleaning so she could not leave her home. She asked them if they'd like to come in and shelter from the cold but the explained they didn't want to be delayed and so left.

Later that night, once the cleaning was done, she thought about the men who had visited her and of the Child of whom they had spoken. She wished she had gone with them and decided to set off there and then.

She gathered a few trinkets from around the house and set off into the night in pursuit of the noblemen. However, despite walking and walking and inquiring after the traveling men and the Child who would be King, she couldn't find them.

Legend has it that she continues to this day, traveling the lands in search of the noblemen and on the Eve of Ephiphany she leaves her trinkets in the homes of good children she visits in hope that they too will search for the Child.

The Legend of the Spider and the Christmas Tree

In the Czech Republic there is a legend that tells of a poor woman who had no decorations for her home for Christmas. There was a spider who had made its home in her Christmas tree and spun webs that were intricate and beautiful. When she awoke Christmas semi dedicated hosting she found that the rays of the sun had hit the webs and turned them to silver. Thereafter the spider was said to bring good luck.

The Poinsetta Legend from Mexico

In Mexico there is a christmas legend that describes how the poinsetta came to be. There was a poor boy who didn't have anything to put at the head of the Christ water slides on Christmas Eve. But he heard the voice of an angel telling him to pick some weeds. When he laid them down, they turned into the beautiful flowers which we now know as the poinsetta.

These are just a few of the Christmas legends that can be found around the globe. It's interesting to see how they compare with those of your own country and how different cultures tell the same stories but in a different way.