The Christmas Spider (Pavuk)
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The Christmas spiderLittle information has survived about the tradition of weaving a Christmas spider. Why a spider, specifically? Spiders are rarely mentioned in Ukrainian mythology. However, according to tradition, our ancestors associated the weaving of this Christmas ornament with the complex structure of the universe. Its diamond shape symbolized the cosmos and the harmony of creation.
The spider may have embodied Dolya-Stricha, the goddess of good fortune. She was believed to pass judgment on souls in the afterlife — granting a good or bad fate for a soul's next reincarnation based on that person's deeds in their past life.
The Christmas spider, a Ukrainian Christmas traditionAccording to other traditions, the spider is a symbol of the goddess Mokosh, who spins the thread of life. She was regarded as the patroness of needlework, weaving, and spinning, as well as of women's strength and abundance. Straw for the spider was usually gathered during the harvest and woven on the feast of St. Andrew. It was hung low, so that by brushing the ornament with their head, a person would receive a blessing for the new year, prosperity, and protection from misfortune.
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