Defenders of Wildlife's Cindy Hoffman gets in the holiday spirit this year with oragami frogs.

If you love frogs and toads like I do, you probably have a few around the house or garden. Frogs play an important role in nature by controlling insects. But they have been worshiped for generations for other reasons. The Egyptians looked upon the frogs as a symbol of life and fertility and have their own frog goddess known as “Heqet.” The Chinese worship the “three legged frog” for bringing wealth and good fortune. Frog decorations are used to attract wealth and prosperity. These frogs are also closely associated with the art of feng shui. And Celtic lore associates the frog as a symbol of magic and a form that initiates the “leaping” from one world to another.

This week, as I decorated for the upcoming holidays gatherings at my house, I thought it would be fun to decorate with frogs. I found this great website that shows how to make paper frogs, so I thought I would give it a try.

As we celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, the Winter Solstice and the New Year, why not incorporate frogs into your festivities? And make a special new year’s wish that the good folks dedicating their lives to finding a cure for chytrid fugus hit the jackpot this year. We need our frogs around.

—Cindy Hoffman, Defenders of Wildlife