THE LEGEND OF BABOUSHKA

This legend is about an old and lonely woman who is considered to have started the tradition of giving gifts to children. Baboushka, which means 'grandmother' or 'old woman' in Russian, lived in a big house, safe and warm, however she led a very lonely life with no friends or neighbors and only the sound of travelers passing in their carts and the animals could break that monotony, also she would provide food to the animals and birds and offer a resting place to weary travelers. When the long Russian winter came, even the birds would leaving the old woman sad and lonely, wishing and praying for company. It was on one such winter night while she was trying to sleep, that she heard a noise growing louder. She knew there are no humans or animals for miles around but at a certain point she heard a loud pounding at her door and she rushed to open it, thinking that it must be a cold and famished traveler only to find three large horses with three noblemen. Baboushka invited the men inside but they declined; instead, they invited her to travel with them to Bethlehem, where they were bound  to find and welcome the child who would be the king of Jews and lead mankind to salvation.Later that night, she thought of the three men and she felt sad at rebuffing their invitation and so she decided to meet the Child. She gathered some trinkets to gift him and set out in the cold dark night but despite travelling far and wide she could find neither the boy king nor the travelers. Legend has it that the old mother is looking for the boy king to this day and that whenever she meets a child she presents him/her with trinkets and continues on her search.