Weaving Old and New Traditions Together: Eastern European Christmas Spider Tradition

Spider ornament in a Christmas tree (Source: Manor College)

 

Love them or hate them, spiders play an important role in native ecosystems and in cultural traditions throughout time and around the world.  From their role as scary creepy crawlies in Western Halloween traditions to the iconic tale of Charlotte who used her web to save Wilbur the pig there is a wide diversity in the folklore and tales about spiders.  This blog post will bring your attention to yet another one that you may not be familiar with: the role of spiders in Christmas traditions among Eastern European populations.

 

Commonly referred to as the “Ukrainian Christmas Spider” the use of spiders and their webs as part of Christmas traditions exists throughout Eastern European populations.  It is customary on Christmas Eve to construct spider figurines from straw and hang them from the ceiling.  Alternatively, individuals may place a spider ornament in their Christmas tree or, according to several journalistic sources, they hang tinsel off the tree’s branches.  The claim is that the tinsel represents the spider’s webs. 

 

These may seem like strange customs, but they are rooted in long-standing traditions and values that have existed for thousands of years.  It is believed that these favorable ideas concerning spiders existed in pre-Christian beliefs, which today are often referred to as folk beliefs. It is unknown what specifically led to the cherishment of spiders, but they have and continue to be viewed as messengers of good news and protectors of the homes and families they dwell alongside.  As these groups adopted Christianity as their primary faith the meaning of the spider transformed and was integrated into Christian beliefs and values. 

 

This has led to a variety of legends concerning the importance of spiders, particularly at Christmas time.  There are several that center around a central theme of poverty and acts of kindness.  Several legends claim that a poor woman sought to provide her children a nice Christmas by acquiring a Christmas tree that she could not afford to decorate.  In the process of getting the tree the woman and/or her children encounter a spider, which they allow to live in the tree.  It repays this kind act by decorating the tree with its cobwebs, which sparkle either naturally or from the sun’s rays hitting them and lighting up the tree.  An alternative legend speaks of spiders who fall in love with a well decorated tree.  The spiders explore the bedazzled tree, but they accidentally leave behind dusty cobwebs. When Santa Clause arrives to deliver the presents to the family he turns the dusty cobwebs into silver and gold tinsel.  A final legend is rooted in Christian beliefs by asserting it was a spider who saved the Holy Family from King Herod’s soldiers, who were tasked with killing baby Jesus.  In this legend the family flees into a cave and a spider seals it in with a thick web, which confuses the soldiers as they believe no one could have entered or survived in that cave and thus sparing the family and Jesus from harm.

 

While it is unclear what led to the Christmas spider tradition it continues to this day among various Eastern European groups and their descendants.  It is a nice tradition that demonstrates the continuity of cultural values throughout time, as well as showcases how core values remain in tact although changed slightly to accommodate changes in the culture.

 

Works Cited

Brown, Wizzie. "The Legend of the Christmas Spider." 21 December 2018. Texas A & M AgriLife Extension. Electronic. 23 November 2024.

Iatsenko, G., Ishchuk, A., & Shcherbakova, N. (2020). Dialogue of generations as communicative dimension of bread culture semantics in the Ukrainian sacral tradition. Journal of History Culture and Art Research,, 9(4), 333-344.

Manor College. "Christmas Spiders? Here’s More on a Ukrainian Holiday Tradition." 15 December 2021. Manor College. Electronic. 23 November 2024.

Natalia, Roman. "Usage of folk crafts of Slobozhanshchyna during preschool children education." Current issues of science and integrated technologies (2023): 10-13.

 

Spotlight on Students: Thinking Like An Archaeologist

 Thinking like an archaeologist is one of the most challenging exercises a novice or inexperienced person can do, including beginner archaeologists.  For one of the SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology assignments students were tasked with doing just that.  By viewing the familiar as the unfamiliar they gained important insights into the challenges archaeologists face, and several of them did exceptionally well in the exercise.  Here is a student's piece that was eligible for and agreed to be published.

 

Figure 1: Site Map (Johnson, A)

 

By: Alexander Johnson

In the year 2082, the world was ravaged by disease. Efforts to repair humanity have been underway for about fifteen years. I was always an adventurer at heart, so my way of helping is through documenting and relearning the old world. I work with the guild of Rebirth Anthropology; my team was assigned to one of Old America’s states. We are unsure of which one, since we come from Old Europe, but someone called it USA24 so I am going with that. One site I have chosen to analyze is a room on the third floor of a large building. I chose to write more extensively on this room because it is so different from the rest of the building, not to mention other nearby buildings.

Firstly, I will offer a description of the room. Starting with its shape, imagine a rectangle, and add one equilateral triangle to both of the short sides. At least 70% of the room is on the same plane, but the northern most side has a rising set of stairs. This side of the room is only slightly more elevated than the other side. The stairs do not lead anywhere. The eastern wall is the only one with windows, but there are two in the ceiling on the south side. The whole thing is about 28 feet long, and 11 feet wide. The ceiling is about 17 feet tall. 

The room is full of artifacts. On the north side, there are four sealed containers. The containers are transparent, so the artifacts can be seen but not handled. There are two types. The rectangular ones are about 3.5 feet tall, 2.5 feet long, and 1.5 feet wide. The other type is a square, also 3.5 feet tall, but 1.5 feet wide on every side. In the center of the room, there are three more of these containers. There are also three depictions of smiling men, each having only a chest and head but no arms. Two of the men are in front of windows, and the third is by the entrance. Also, near the entrance, there are six tables all placed together to create a large one, and there are nine chairs on both long sides. Straight across from the door on the opposite wall, in the middle of the room, is a painting. On the southern side of the room, there are three more sealed transparent containers. There are also four more sealed containers on this side. They are still transparent but made of a different main material. They stand twice as tall as all the other sealed artifacts but about the same width and length. There are two on the east side and two on the West side, with the placement mirroring each other. All the containers in the room have different objects inside, and many have paper with what may be a description of the thing(s) inside. 

I find the depictions of smiling men to be the most interesting. As I said before, there are three of them. One by the door, and the other two are in front of a window. Each of them only has a chest and up and no arms. They rise to about 4 feet tall and are 1.4 feet wide. They are all made of the same material, which appears to be metal. They are brown, and there are lots of details on the busts. One can see where their clothes crease and where their faces wrinkle. Also, each of them rests on a black cube. The cubes have no inscription, so I am unsure how these men would be identified. Perhaps the locals would recognize them without the need for it. I do not believe they are warriors, due to the lack of arms to hold weapons, lack of armor, and the smiling faces. Considering the number of them, I do not believe they were the builders of the room or the rest of the building either. Due to the detail in the busts, I do believe these are/were real people. It is unclear if they are wearing the exact same outfit, since they all are made of only one color, but the clothes do look similar. The faces are too different for me to believe they are siblings, but there is a possibility that they are all related. The faces also suggest the men are of different ages. None of them are young (20s), but none are elderly (60+).

The site also has me wondering about the six tables and eighteen chairs. Especially since one large table could be placed there instead. The entrance is big enough for that. All the tables and chairs are made of the same material as well. The number of chairs placed so close to each other at such a large “table” suggests to me that this is a place for equals to converse. No chairs stand alone at an end to represent power, nor do any have any decorations or marks that would differentiate it. Both the chairs and tables are simply designed as well. However, maybe this is the room at rest. If it was in use, the tables could be split up and groups could be formed. Especially since there is a relatively empty space on the southern side. 

All the sealed containers have piqued my interest, but especially the ones that are slightly raised on the north side. The highest one is full of papers, but since most of the meaning is in the writing, I cannot tell what is significant about it. However, there are two images of men, one image of a nearby building, two images with people in motion inside a building, and a picture with 36 people all smiling at the camera. The other three raised containers are on the same level. One has ceramic cups and plates of various sizes. This one also has three images of men, one by each cup. I failed to inspect these images, so there is a possibility that they are the three men on the busts. However, there is another container with the same type of objects, with three more images. There are two men and one woman. None of which were on the busts, so I do not believe the other set of images relate to it. Finally, there is a square container in between the other two, that contains three heads. They are made of the same material as the busts, but they are three different men. There is a small paper with writing near each of the heads, which I assume to be the identifiers.

I believe this room is a site for competition. Firstly, I believe the statues are previous winners, considering they are all smiling and the similar clothes. This can also explain why it would be redundant to have nameplates on the busts, as the locals would probably be talking about the competitions extensively. Secondly, the table that can be split into six. Perhaps this is where they are briefed before and/or after the event. During the competition, these would be split up from one another. Also, considering three chairs could go to one table each that may relate back to the three images of people within two of the containers. These may be the team event winners, with the statues being individual winners. As for the objects alongside the images, maybe it was used as a trophy, or it was an aspect of the game. I believe it is important that these are on the raised side of the room. The fact that these are above the individual winners may represent this society’s collectivism.

When I first started the assignment, I thought it would be easy; how wrong I was. In my own experience, I was constantly asking, “Would I assume X if I didn’t have prior knowledge?”, “Is it ethnocentric to say X”, “Am I giving this artifact a connotation by using this word?”. This made it difficult to actually get started. In this project I did not have the ability to speak the language, nor a chance at learning it and coming back. It also would have been nice to consult people who already understood the room. However, this comes with its own challenges as well. Relationships need to be built between anthropologists and the people that live near or on site so that they can gain access (Lahka, 1). Language barriers can make this more difficult. Not to mention, learning a language does not mean it will be easy to communicate with other fluent speakers. They will have accents, slang, and may treat you as an outsider. However, anthropologists have reliable methods to avoid doing harm and being ethnocentric. They employ “open communication to ensure that the research process respects the unique perspectives and values of the studied communities” (Lahka, 1).

Works Cited

Lahka, S. Overcoming Anthropological Challenges: Common Problems and Solutions. Spires. https://spires.co/online-anthropology-tutors/undergraduate/overcoming-anthropological-challenges-common-problems-and-solutions

 

Spotlight on Students: Origins of Agriculture

This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students. Students were given the opportunity to research and identify the origins of agricultural products (be it plants or animals) from one of their favorite meals. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts. Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

 

Figure 1: Miso Soup (Google Images)

By: Ryota Haga

My favorite food is Miso soup (Figure 1). Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup, consisting primarily of miso, tofu, seaweed (Wakame) and scallions. Miso soup has a very long history, dating back to around 1180 (Haruka, 2023). Soybeans, the main ingredient of Miso soup, originated in China about 3,000 years ago. Originally, wild soybeans were very small and had low nutritional value. Domestication focused on increasing seed size, oil content, and protein content. Soybeans can be fermented to make miso, and soy milk can be curdled to make tofu. Cultivated soybeans (Glycine Max) are the raw material for miso and tofu and are essential for Miso soup. 

Next, seaweed (wakame), an essential ingredient in Miso soup, has been harvested for thousands of years primarily in the coastal regions of East Asia. Domestication in Japan began about 1,500 years ago (Healatho, 2022). Originally, seaweed (wakame) was only harvested as a wild crop, which gave it a distinctive rocky flavor and unstable yield, but selective cultivation has greatly improved its yield, taste, and texture, making it much more suitable for cooking than wild. Seaweed (wakame) is a cultivated version of wild seaweed. 

The last one is green onions. Green onions are also an absolute must for Miso soup. It is said that green onions originated in Central Asia, but it is not known exactly where ( 田中農場日誌編集部 , 2024). They spread to East Asia, including Japan, through trade. Domesticated about 2,000 years ago, it initially had a wild taste, which has now changed to selective breeding focused on developing a milder taste, faster growth, and larger bulb size than the original. The cultivated green onion, Allium fistulosum, is now an important ingredient in Miso soup. 

The domestication of the ingredients of my favorite Miso soup reflects the broader transition from foraging to farming in East Asia, leading to the cultivation of crops better suited to local tastes and nutritional needs. These changes in ingredients represented major biological shifts - increased size, increased nutritional value, and improved flavor - that contributed significantly to the development of miso soup as a staple of Japanese cuisine.

Work Cited

Haruka. (2023a, February 8). お味噌汁は長い歴史のある私たちのソウルフード. ローカルガイド・ビズ. https://ja.localguide.biz/miso-soup-japanese-soul-food/ 

田中農場日誌集部                    田中農場のスタッフにより、お米や野菜の豆知識、おすすめレシピ、日々の農場の様子などを発信しています。鳥取から全国のみなさまへ「作物本来のおいしさ」をお届けできるように頑張っています！. (2024, January 30). 【ネギの歴史と種類】日本のネギの特徴や人気の地方品種を解説！: 田中農場日誌｜鳥取県八頭町でおいしいお米と野菜を育てる農場スタッフブログ. 田中農場日誌｜鳥取県八頭町でおいしいお米と野菜を育てる農場スタッフブログ | 鳥取県八頭町の田中農場のスタッフブログ. https://www.farm-tanaka.jp/blog/2021/01/20/history-of-greenonions/ 

Healatho. (2022, May 25). １分で分かる！ワカメの歴史. HEALATHO 京都山城. https://healatho.com/wakamehistory/

Glycine max - plant finder. (n.d.-b). https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=280548&isprofile=0&chr=19

せとうちネット. 環境省_せとうちネット：ワカメ. (n.d.). https://www.env.go.jp/water/heisa/heisa_net/setouchiNet/seto/g1/g1chapter1/ikimono/wakame.html

No record - useful tropical plants. (n.d.). https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Allium%2Bfistulosum

Figure 2: California Roll (Google Images)

By: Macie Goetz

My favorite food is a California Roll (Figure 2). A California Roll is a sushi dish. This is composed of sushi rice, avocado, cucumber, mayonnaise, crab (or imitation crab), nori, and sushi rice vinegar. As many people know, sushi tends to be a Chinese dish. The rice originates from the Oryza rufipogon plant, which was originally from China (Callaway). There is also rice vinegar. The origin of this is the same as the rice listed above.

Farmers chose certain traits they liked from the plant and cultivated this plant to favor what was wanted from it. The avocado in the food comes from a completely different part of the world though. It is thought to be that avocados originated from Africa and made their way to N. America (Blakemore). While avocados grow on trees they were also still cultivated to produce larger fruit. 

Just like many fruits and vegetables cucumbers have been grown and altered by people for a long time. Cucumbers are believed to originate from India, coming from the plant Cucumis sativus (Faizal). 

Next is mayonnaise, and this itself has been used for many purposes such as a binder or as a sauce used to spread on bread for a sandwich etc., but the origin is somewhat a mystery. According to Michael La Corte in their article, “French marshal Duc de Richelieu ate an early version of mayonnaise in Minorca, Spain in the mid-1700's and brought it home, calling it "Mahonnaise" after Mahón, the town where he consumed it” (La Corte). 

Imitation crab and real crab are two completely different things. The imitation crab actually comes from a mixture of fish and/or shrimp, but real crab is an actual animal that is not domesticated but wild-caught.  According to Wild Crab, “ Wild crab is caught in the wild and is considered to be the more traditional and authentic type of crab. These crabs live in their natural habitats, such as oceans, bays, and estuaries, and are caught using fishing methods like pots, traps, and dredges” (Wild Crab). 

Nori is a sheet of dried seaweed. This originated from “the human cultivation of Nori began only in the late 1600s with the rise of Tokugawa leyasu… … the stakes evolved into a more efficient horizontal net system along the ocean surface. Although these fishermen may not have realized it, they had started Nori agriculture, which would continue to grow and develop for years to come” (Franko). 

Finally, as a whole the California Roll is not directly from China as a traditional dish but was made here in the United States.

Blakemore, Erin. “The Illustrious History of the Avocado - JSTOR DAILY.” JSTOR Daily, JSTOR, 18 May 2017, daily.jstor.org/the-illustrious-history-of-the-avocado/. 

Callaway, Ewen. “Domestication: The Birth of Rice.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 29 Oct. 2014, www.nature.com/articles/514S58a#:~:text=Oryza%20rufipogon%2C%20the%20Asian%20wild%20grass%20that%20is,some%20modern%20rice%20growers%20consider%20it%20a%20pest. 

Faizal, Mohammed. “All about Cucumbers: From Origins to Uses.” Rise Gardens, Rise Gardens, 11 July 2023, risegardens.com/blogs/communitygarden/all-about-cucumbers-from-origins-to-uses#:~:text=The%20humble%20cucumber%2C%20known%20scientifically%20as%20Cucumis%20sativus%2C,where%20wild%20varieties%20can%20still%20be%20found%20today. 

Franco, JC, and Foodrinke Team. “Exploring Nori’s Legacy: 20 Insights from Its History.” Foodrinke, 10 Mar. 2024, www.foodrinke.com/history-of-nori-dried-seaweed-major-moments-events-and-facts/. 

La Corte, Michael. “The Mysterious Origins of Mayonnaise.” Mashed, Mashed, 30 Apr. 2021, www.mashed.com/397378/the-mysterious-origins-of-mayonnaise/. 

“Wild Crab vs. Farmed Crab: What’s the Difference?” Wild Crab, www.wild-crab.com/blog/wild-crab-vs-farmed-crab-whats-the-difference/#:~:text=Wild%20Crab%3A%20Wild%20crab%20is%20caught%20in%20the,using%20fishing%20methods%20like%20pots%2C%20traps%2C%20and%20dredges. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.

 

 

Gift Giving Guide 22: Ideas for Your Favorite Anthropologists/Anthropology Interest Persons

Biannually I dedicate blog posts to the presentation of gifts that may be suitable for anthropologists or individuals interested in anthropology (any and all subfields).  As we are nearing the end of the traditional semester and quickly approaching graduation season it seems appropriate to dedicate a post to this very topic.  Below are some of the latest additions to the list of gift ideas that may be appropriate for your anthropologically interested person.

 

Archaeology

Do you dig an archaeologist or an individual interested in archaeology?  (Get it?!)  If you are in the northern hemisphere then the archaeologists are more than likely working in the lab as the weather conditions may not be favorable for more extensive fieldwork.  An archaeological themed mug with a bit of humor may be what you need!  This one from MeteorcatMugs is an excellent option.

Cultural Anthropology

Cultural anthropologists study modern cultures, specifically the people and their belief systems, norms, values, behaviors, and more.  While there are various types of gift options for these anthropologists one thing is certain: they often have to wear something before going out into the field and while out in it.  This unisex and customizable shirt may be an optimal option, particularly as it features several of the important anthropological theorists who have helped shape this anthropological subfield.  You can purchase it through Revise and Resubmit.

Biological Anthropology

Biological anthropology is the broadest of the four subfields, meaning there are numerous gifting options for anyone with an interest in biological anthropology.  Despite this we suggest socks.  Why?  Because who does not like socks?  Even if they do not like socks they may need them, so these funky unisex Neanderthal socks will keep the giftee's feet warm while they look smart, like our Neanderthal ancestors.  These are available through Historical Socks. 

Linguistic Anthropology

Language and culture are the jams of linguistic anthropologists.  There are various ways that these anthropologists can and do conduct their studies, be it transcribing recordings or conducting interviews in the field.  While this gift idea is not conducive to all aspects of linguistic anthropological work this IPA themed blanket might be something cozy and warm for them to curl up in.  This blanket can be customized (color wise) to meet the needs of the linguistic anthropologist while they work-be it while they listen, transcribe, or think.  It is available through VT Stuttering Therapy.

Spotlight on Students: Origins and Meanings of American Idioms

 This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students. Students were given the opportunity to research and identify the origins and meanings of time of a specific American phrase that they selected. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts. Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

 

Source: Google Images

By: Kayuuyor Okolo

Among the numerous phrases made available to us, the idiom that caught my attention is “fool’s gold.” It stood out to me because gold happens to be one of my favorite colors. Aside from that, I had pondered on what it meant. I sat down quietly trying to make a reasonable guess on what this phrase could possibly mean. I did not think it was a smart idea for a fool to be in possession of something as precious as gold.

I gave in to my curiosity and decided to conduct research. I found out that it had an in-depth explanation for the reason it had been called that name. Further research revealed that it had two aspects to it: first, it is an idiomatic expression and one of the earth’s most abundant sulfide compounds. In addition to what has been said, the term “Fool’s gold also known as pyrite had been originally derived from what many prospectors had mistaken to be gold due to its shiny metallic luster and yellow coloring” (Cochrane, 2023). Pyrite is also the Greek name for fire because it can create sparks for starting a fire when struck with a metal or stone and even if it had been around for 2.9 billion years. It was first discovered by Dr. Jonathan Jacobo in 1432. The term reflects deceit, that is, how easily people can be deceived into thinking they have found gold when they actually have pyrite.

The idiomatic phrase became existent and popularized in the 19th century. It was first used to describe a mineral that looked like gold but is nearly worthless. In recent times, it has been adopted by the investment industry and is often used to describe investments that seemed promising and flashy but are ultimately worthless.

Based on my research, the meaning did not necessarily change; it just became popularized and adopted by the investment industry. They have a whole theory on “Fool’s gold”, and this concept describes cryptocurrencies that lose their values easily. According to Chen,” The name seemed particularly fitting to critics who saw cryptocurrencies as false currencies, just as fool's gold is false gold” (Chen, 2022).

 

WORKS CITED

Gasdia-Cochrane, Marlene. “Pyrite: The Real Story behind ‘Fool’s Gold.’” Advancing Mining, 6 Feb. 2023, www.thermofisher.com/blog/mining/pyrite-the-real-story-behind-fools-gold/#:~:text=Pyrite%20is%20called%20%E2%80%9CFool’s%20Gold,a%20piece%20of%20unglazed%20porcelain.

“10 Facts about Pyrite ‘Fools Gold.’” TheGlobalStone, Elena Patrova, 4 Apr. 2018, theglobalstone.com/blogs/news/10-facts-about-pyrite-fools-gold#:~:text=1%20Pyrite%20was%20discovered%20by,a%20means%20of%20producing%20fire.

Chen, James. “Fool’s Gold: Meaning, Avoiding Bad Investments, Grammar.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 26 Apr. 2022, www.investopedia.com/terms/f/foolsgold.asp#:~:text=Fool’s%20gold%20was%20often%20found,and%20lack%20of%20industrial%20utility.

 

Source: English Grammar

 

By: Cierra Hein

The American phrase that I chose is “in the pink.” The reason why I chose this phrase is because it is my favorite color. The phrase "in the pink" dates back to the 1500s when a version of the saying appeared in Shakespeare’s classic, Romeo and Juliet.  It is said in part of one of the scenes with the line, “the very pink of courtesy.” In the 1500s it was used differently than it is now; back then it meant a remarkable example. It was also used to express exceptional fashion peaks. "In the pink" used now is an expression that expresses excellent health, fitness, and happiness. It can also mean that the finances in a company or economy are doing really well.  Before I did research on this phrase, I thought that the American phrase "in the pink" meant something similar to the phrases “in the clear” or “in the good.” I could just be saying that because I like the color pink, so for me the color means all things good and clear. Now that I have done more research on the phrase, I can say that I was fairly close to the correct definition. The American phrase "in the pink" has changed from the 15^th century to the 21st century because people have noticed the rosy complexion in people's face when they are healthy and happy. I would say that the meaning of the phrase "in the pink" says that our culture has gotten more relaxed in English statements or phrases. We have taken something that meant remarkable examples or fashion peaks to the literal color of our skin when people are happy or healthy.

 

Works Cited:

Collins Online Dictionary | Definitions, Thesaurus and Translations, www.collinsdictionary.com/us/. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.

Kenton, Will. “In the Pink: Meaning of the Slang Investing Term.” Investopedia, Investopedia, www.investopedia.com/terms/i/inthepink.asp. Accessed 25 Sept. 2024.

Staying in the Pink of Health | Mount Alvernia Hospital Singapore, mtalvernia.sg/education/staying-in-the-pink-of-health/. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.