Christmas Done Differently
By A. Greusel
Lufkin has a strange tradition. Every year the mall parking lot is graced
by the appearance of Lufkin Industry’s “Rudolph the Red Nosed Pumping Unit”
custom that’s been around for 48 years. And in light of the slightly strange
and definitely unique Christmas practices that every family has, this article is
devoted to ferreting out all those kooky
things people round the world do to
insure a wonderful holiday.
For example, in Ukraine their
Christmas decorations are not colored
balls, tinsel, and kindergarten relics
covered in glitter glue. Instead,
Ukrainians deck their houses and trees
with artificial spider webs. They do this in
response to an old folktale, passed down
through the generations. A widow and her children couldn’t afford presents,
for they were poor and the winter had been harsh. However, they still
brought in the traditional tree though they could not decorate it. During the
night, the spiders living in the house covered the tree in intricate designs.
The children were overjoyed when they caught sight of its beauty; and if that
was not enough, the Christ Child (who brings presents instead of Santa in
Ukraine) blessed the family by turning each web into silver and gold. It is said
that from then on the widow and her family wanted for nothing. Thus during
the winter months spider webs are left in peace and if one sees the eight
legged creature on Christmas day they will have good luck for the rest of the
year.
In other places, Santa Claus is not the only
one to visit homes and deliver presents, in Italy
there is also the good witch La Befana, who arrives
11 days after Christmas. According to legend, she
turned down the wise mens’ offer to come see the
new born Jesus, and in regret flies around the
world on the day they arrived. She gives small
presents and often candy to the good children, and
threatens the bad with coal colored lumps of sugar.