Christmas Lore: The Legend of St. Lucia
Christmas Lore: The Legend of St. Lucia
If you're looking for a fun bit of Christmas lore to share with your family, you might be interested in the legend of St. Lucia. Not only does St. Lucia provide a fun alternative at Christmas concerts and church pageants, she even has her own special day -- December 13th, which is a huge holiday in Sweden.
Saint Who?
When you think Christmas, you probably think of jolly ol' St. Nick, not St. Lucia. Across the ocean, St. Lucia enjoys popularity that rivals Father Christmas himself. Christmas lore tells of a young woman from the island of Sicily. When the emperor Diocletian began his notorious persecution of Christians, this brave young woman gave away her entire dowry to support Christian families.
Unfortunately, Lucia's future husband and in-laws weren't very happy with her actions. They reported her as a Christian and she died a martyr.
Why Scandinavia?
Believe it or not, the reason St. Lucia is such an integral part of Scandinavian Christmas lore has to do with early Christian Vikings. During their travels, they heard the story of St. Lucia and it captured their imagination. They pictured her as a shining figure surrounded by the light of God, a powerful image in a community so far north that during winter, daylight hours are scarce.
Celebrating St. Lucia
Many traditions subsequently rose up around St. Lucia. December 13th, the winter solstice in Scandinavia -- which is to say, the darkest day of the year -- became a natural time to celebrate a figure of light. Christmas lore told that unmarried girls could turn to St. Lucia on this special day and learn who their future husbands might be.
Thousands of people still celebrate St. Lucia's Day on December 13th in Scandinavia and Italy. These days, many schools, businesses, and homes pick a representative to play Lucia. She wears white robes and carries a crown of candles on her head (although if you decide to try this with a very young child, it might be wise to go with the battery-operated version or construction paper version!).
Usually the eldest daughter plays Lucia and -- bonus -- makes hot coffee and "Lucia buns" for her family that morning, a custom originating with a legend of Lucia bringing food to the poor.
So go ahead and hold your own celebration. Dress up a daughter, light some candles, and bake a batch of Lucia buns. You never know when a new piece of Christmas lore could spark a family tradition for generations.