Legend Of Baboushka

Baboushka is a popular fictional character and is a part of a traditional Christmas legend. The word 'Baboushka' refers to 'old woman' or 'grandmother' in the Russian language. The legend of Baboushka relates to the story of an old woman who travelled from village to village in search of the newborn King and the three wise men. On her way, she visited the homes of good children and left presents for them, while they slept in their beds. This fascinating story of Baboushka is one of the reasons that explain why children received gifts during Christmas. Every Christmas story sends a strong message to remind the people about the importance of conventional traditions. This story emphasizes on the significance of giving and sharing. There is no charm in celebrating Christmas without knowing the actual meaning behind the festivities. So, read on to know more about the legend of Baboushka - the origin and description. Here's a story that will truly inspire you.

Origin And Description

The Legend
According to ancient Christmas legends, Baboushka is a character who originated from Russia. The legend of Baboushka is a popular tale and was known to the people of Russia even before the Russian Revolution of 1917. Apart from the tales of St. Nicholas, it is believed that, Baboushka also gifted presents to good children on Christmas. Some even considered that the tradition of gifting children might have begun, after the legend of Baboushka came to the forefront.

The story of Baboushka is about an old woman called 'Baboushka', who lived alone in a small hut situated beside crossroads, where four main roads intertwined. She had no neighbors and she lived far away from all the other towns and villages. It was only the sound of wagons pulled by donkeys, the riders on horsebacks, the footsteps of strangers passing by, which gave Baboushka some company during summer. When it was winter, Baboushka was left with only the sound of birds that she fed with the leftover crumbs from her wheat breads. Soon after, the birds too flew away. Baboushka was too old and frail to cut logs of wood to start a fire that would have otherwise kept her warm. She did not even have any money to buy candles to light the rooms in her house. All Baboushka did was sit at home in the dark during the cold, winter days and waited for the summer to return.

On one harsh winter night, Baboushka heard voices of travellers and the tinkling of bells. At first, she thought the sounds were made by the clinking of the icicles on the frozen branches. Soon the voices grew louder and the grunts of animals were heard. Baboushka immediately lit her last candle, wrapped a scarf around her head and peeped through her frosted window. She was surprised on hearing a knock at the door. On opening the door, she saw three men dressed in expensive fur clothing, seated on camels. One of the rich men told Baboushka that they were following a star in the sky, which would lead them to a newborn baby King. The man asked Baboushka to join them in their journey to find the baby. Dazed, Baboushka refused their offer. The men left her alone and continued their journey to find the special baby. After a while, Baboushka regretted her decision on not joining them and was deeply distressed. She decided to search for the three wise men and wanted to meet the special, new born baby.

So, she put on her woolen scarf, wore her cloak, carried a basket with treats for the new born baby and walked into the cold unknown. From village to village, Baboushka travelled and retold the story about the three wise men and the special baby to everybody she met, but the villagers could not help her. She looked closely at every child she saw, hoping to identify the much-talked-about baby. On realizing they were not, she would leave immediately but not before she left them with a small gift, while they slept soundly in their beds. Baboushka travelled for years but she still did not find that special child, who was in fact, Jesus Christ. Some say that if Baboushka still lived, she might have still been looking for him.

Description
Baboushka is described as a very old woman, with a scarf wrapped around her head. Dressed in a long dark cloak, Baboushka is pictured as a frail woman, carrying a basket of goodies in one arm.

Like all Christmas tales, the legend of Baboushka will only make people realize the beginnings and the ideas behind countless festivities. This beautiful Christmas story is certainly a heart-touching story told and retold over decades. In modern times, on Christmas morning, when children in Russia find gifts in their beds, they are told that grandma Baboushka had left it for them while they were asleep.