Have a Happy Crabby Christmas

Unless you are very traditional in your approach to Christmas decorations, you might be one of those that are constantly on the look out for something different or unusual to add to your tree. Well, for the something new and different, think crabs!

This string of three hand painted glitter sprinkled red crabs are ho ho ho-ing away as they wait for Santa, and wishing you a Merry Christmas while they do.  

 Made of resin, they're sure to last a lot longer than the real kind.  The overall length is about six inches long.

Hermit crabs are another good choice at Christmas.  There are hundreds of different species, and many of those are red.

However, the name is a bit misleading.   Hermit Crabs aren't really hermits at all, but actually very social.  They truly enjoy the company of their fellows, and do not seem to like being alone.  They their name comes from the fact that they must stay in their borrowed shell to protect the  parts of their body that are soft and vulnerable - mainly their abdomen.  They carry this home around with them.

Did I say borrowed?  Yes, their shells formerly belonged to someone else, as these little critters can't make their own homes like many mollusks can.  That 'someone else' is usually some sort of a sea snail.

And, though some are, not all of them are such little creatures, either.  The littlest species don't even get over an inch long.  But the, there's the biggest of all - the Coconut Crab.  They can get over three feet long!

The Blue Crab is the official state crustacean of the state of Maryland, where some people like to call them Chesapeake Blues.

It might be argued that the Atlantic Blue Crab is an all American species, and a very patriotic one, too.

They are native to the waters around America, specifically those of the Western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

 But that's not the whole story.  

They actually display outlines of two of America's national monuments on their little crab bellies!

Turn a blue crab over and have a look.

If an outline of the dome of United States Capitol building shows up, you're looking at a girl.  

If it's the Washington Monument that you see, then that's a boy.

Fascinating little tidbit?  You bet!

Those born under the sign of Cancer the Crab (June 22 - July 22) love the life that revolves around home and hearth. But they can be a bit moody from time to time.

The crab is an apt symbol for them, for when their feeiling get hurt, they just might withdraw into their shell.

The might, however, really get a kick of hanging a crab or two on their holiday tree.

You can choose from hundreds of designs at on demand printer Zazzle.

And look! There's even one for the sign of cancer. You can customize it with a name and date on the reverse side, so this would make a nice gift or stocking stuffer.