Posted on Dec 14, 2023
These are some Christmas traditions around the world, from fistfights to KFC
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https://www.npr.org/2023/12/14/ [login to see] /christmas-traditions-around-the-world
In the U.S., holiday season customs can range from the cozy to the confounding, like sharing a kiss under the poisonous and parasitic plant, mistletoe.
Around the world, the traditions are as diverse as the countries in which they originated. From flying fists to crispy chicken wings, here's a look at some of the interesting ways in which people celebrate the Christmas season and beyond.
In the U.S., holiday season customs can range from the cozy to the confounding, like sharing a kiss under the poisonous and parasitic plant, mistletoe.
Around the world, the traditions are as diverse as the countries in which they originated. From flying fists to crispy chicken wings, here's a look at some of the interesting ways in which people celebrate the Christmas season and beyond.
These are some Christmas traditions around the world, from fistfights to KFC
Posted from npr.org
Christmas
Tradition
Culture
Posted 5 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Spiders on Christmas trees in Ukraine
In Ukraine, some of those who celebrate Christmas hang pavuki, or "spiders" made from materials such as straw, beads and wire, a tradition rooted in the belief that they will bring prosperity to those who participate.
There are quite a few theories on how the custom came to be.
Natalie Kononenko, a folklorist at the University of Alberta who does fieldwork in Ukraine, says there are two origin stories.
One stems from a folktale about a poor family who could not afford Christmas gifts for their children. The dad brings home a fir tree that spiders have woven webs onto. The family is scared at first, but in the morning, the webs have turned to silver, bringing them good fortune.
In the second story, Ukrainians weave wheat straws together "to ensure a good crop of wheat in the following year," Kononenko said.
Robert Romanchuk, who teaches Slavic at Florida State University, cited a Ukrainian folk calendar written by Vasyl Tymofiyovych Skurativskyi in 1993 that says straw spiders were first hung on roofbeams in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine.
Christmas trees are a fairly new tradition in Ukraine, and with time and the immigration of Ukrainians to other parts of the world, people likely began hanging the spiders on trees as well as around the house, Romanchuk said.
"This would explain why Ukrainians from Ukraine (including those from Ivano-Frankivsk) are mystified and even upset by these displays, but diaspora Ukrainians maintain that they are traditional," Romanchuk said. "In a sense, both are right."
While some Ukrainians may still make the spiders by hand, others may choose to buy premade spider and spiderweb ornaments."
..."Spiders on Christmas trees in Ukraine
In Ukraine, some of those who celebrate Christmas hang pavuki, or "spiders" made from materials such as straw, beads and wire, a tradition rooted in the belief that they will bring prosperity to those who participate.
There are quite a few theories on how the custom came to be.
Natalie Kononenko, a folklorist at the University of Alberta who does fieldwork in Ukraine, says there are two origin stories.
One stems from a folktale about a poor family who could not afford Christmas gifts for their children. The dad brings home a fir tree that spiders have woven webs onto. The family is scared at first, but in the morning, the webs have turned to silver, bringing them good fortune.
In the second story, Ukrainians weave wheat straws together "to ensure a good crop of wheat in the following year," Kononenko said.
Robert Romanchuk, who teaches Slavic at Florida State University, cited a Ukrainian folk calendar written by Vasyl Tymofiyovych Skurativskyi in 1993 that says straw spiders were first hung on roofbeams in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine.
Christmas trees are a fairly new tradition in Ukraine, and with time and the immigration of Ukrainians to other parts of the world, people likely began hanging the spiders on trees as well as around the house, Romanchuk said.
"This would explain why Ukrainians from Ukraine (including those from Ivano-Frankivsk) are mystified and even upset by these displays, but diaspora Ukrainians maintain that they are traditional," Romanchuk said. "In a sense, both are right."
While some Ukrainians may still make the spiders by hand, others may choose to buy premade spider and spiderweb ornaments."
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