We can't be sure how many Ukrainians will be putting up Christmas trees this year, but in peacetime, many of those trees would be adorned with spiders and spider webs. Not real spiders, but ornaments of silver or gold or tinsel of some sort. The tradition of hanging spider ornaments on a tree isn't all that old. It started in the late 19th or early 20th century, and it can be traced to a much older Ukrainian folk tale about a Christmas spider. Without giving away the plot, I can assure you that it ends better than Charlotte's Web.
Spiders are now considered to be a lucky symbol in Ukraine, and it is traditional to leave any real spiderwebs alone during the holidays, to ensure good luck in the new year ahead. After all, you don't know if the one that spun a web under your stairs might be the Christmas spider! Read about the connection between spiders and Christmas trees at Mental floss.
(Image credit: Erika Smith)