Our Holiday traditions and customs are often about people, reminding us how we should treat each other, now and throughout the year. Sometimes, the wild creatures of creation are included in the special stories we tell this season. The most prominent wildlife of the winter are the birds, so it is not surprising that many of our Christmas legends involve birds.

One story tells of the night in the manger, when the Child had been born, and the fire began to die out. None of the animals could do anything to keep the fire going, but one plain and unremarkable brown bird fanned the flames with it’s wings, even as the fire began to burn it’s chest. This bird was rewarded for it’s courage and sacrifice with a permanently bright-red breast, a bird we now call the robin.

Another legend tells of the Three Wise Men calling the birds of the forest to help in their search for the new King. All the birds immediately took flight, except the owl, who just muttered, “Who? Who?” as if asking who should be so important that he should fly about on a cold night. Since he refused to go, he still calls “Who? Who?” to this day.

Many cultures believe it is good luck to feed the birds on Christmas. Christmas Eve finds folks in Germany spreading corn on the rooftops for the birds. In Sweden, bread crumbs, seed, or a sheaf of grain are placed at the top of a pole in an area frequented by wild birds. Hungarians keep the last sheaf of grain at harvest, then offer it to birds on New Year’s morning. These customs exemplify the spirit of charity, while bringing color and activity to our gardens on frigid holiday mornings.

A final legend involves some in-the-house wildlife. This tale tells of a gentle lady cleaning and decorating the house for Christmas, in the process sweeping out all the spider webs. The spiders took shelter in the attic until nightfall, when they crept back out and saw the lovely Christmas tree. It was so beautiful that they danced over the branches all night, leaving it covered in webs. When Santa, or in some versions, the Christ child, came to visit and bless the house, he saw what the spiders had done. Knowing that the spiders meant no harm, but that the lady of the house would not be pleased, he changed the webs into fine strands of silver and gold. Ever since we have decorated the tree with sparkling tinsel, and many people include a spider ornament on the Christmas tree.