The
Story of Santa Lucia
(There are several versions of the story of Lucia but this is a nice
one!)
Lucia was an Italian girl, born in Sicily in the 3rd
century A.D. It was a time when the Romans were persecuting Christians,
and Lucia's family was Christian. When her father died, Lucia vowed to
remain unmarried and to serve God, but since she didn't tell anyone
about
this vow, her widowed mother went ahead and promised her in marriage to
a suitor who was not a Christian. Lucia said no thanks, I'd rather be
an
old maid, and she proceeded to give her dowry away to the poor. The
young
man's pride was severely injured, so he reported Lucia to the Roman
authorities
and she was tried and convicted of being a Christian. The judge decided
that a suitable punishment for a woman who wanted to remain chaste was
to
be sold into slavery - to a brothel. But when the soldiers came to take
her away, they were unable to move her! Rather than being awed by this,
they proceeded to pour oil over her and set her on fire. The oil burned
- Lucia did not! Still unimpressed, the soldiers beat and tortured her
and
tried to get her to deny her Christian faith, but she refused. So they
stuck
a sword into her throat and that did kill her. She died a martyr's
death
on December 13, 304 A.D. For her faithfulness, she was made a saint.
How did a Sicilian saint become a part of Swedish
tradition? Legend has it that back in the Middle Ages, the Swedish
province of Varmland was experiencing a terrible famine and people were
starving to death. On the longest night of the shortest day of the year
- which also happened to be St. Lucia's Day, December 13th - a light
suddenly appeared on Lake Vanern. It was a large white boat filled with
food, and at the helm was a beautiful young woman in a white gown
wearing a crown of lights. Lucia had come to rescue the Swedes! As soon
as the ship was unloaded, it disappeared.
Swedish custom is that on Santa Lucia Day, mother
and children get up very early in the morning to make the traditional
Lussekatter (rolls made with saffron) and Luciapepparkakor
(ginger cookies).
The oldest daughter portrays Lucia dressed in a long white robe with a
red sash with a crown of lit candles on her head. She carries the tray
of food as she leads the procession of mother and the other children
who
sing the traditional Santa Lucia song as they march to the father's
room.
Traditionally, the winner of the Noble Prize in
Literature has the supreme honor of crowning Stockholm's Santa Lucia.
Traditionally, miracles can happen at midnight on the eve of St.
Lucia's Day and animal may talk. Traditionally, the cook buries the
lutefisk in beech ashes on
St. Lucia's Day. You don't have to be Swedish to celebrate Santa Lucia
-
Lucia wasn't a Swede! Välkommen! Varsågod!
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