Sunday, December 7, 2008

Cobweb Christmas


Today we read Cobweb Christmas, which is based on a folktale whose roots go back more than two hundred years. Versions of this story have been told in many lands, including Germany, Poland, Russia, Romania, and Great Britain. Its a magical tale about an old lady that decorates a wonderful tree every year and every person and animal comes to visit it. This old lady overlooks the spiders that she swept out of her house when she was cleaning it getting ready for Christmas. These spiders sneak softly, zigging and zagging, weaving little webs all over the tree and they are turned into shiny strands that become the first tinsel used on Christmas trees. This is a book we read last year, and the kids were excited to hear it again this year. Even the baby sat and listened and pointed to the animals throughout the book.

We stuffed see-through ornaments with tinsel and hung them on the tree this evening to remind us of this Christmas legend. I think that I've tapped into this curiosity within me to find out where these traditions originated because they have gotten forgotten over the years. I'll be on the hunt! In the meantime enjoy the pictures.


Spider Cookies Recipe:

1 6 oz. bag choc. chips

1 6 oz. bag butterschotch chips

1 12 oz. bag of chow mein noodles

1 cup peanuts (optional)



Melt chips together, add chow mein noodles, and heap on wax paper until hardened.


2 comments:

Sweet Blessings said...

Yum! Someone made these for us the other day and they added marshmallows to them. They were very yummy! Thanks for the recipe!

Brenda @ Tie That Binds Us said...

If you lived closer you'd be gettin' a bag tomorrow. : (