Saint Lucia

All of Sweden seems to be decorated for the holiday season. In almost every window there is a lit candelabra or star. The towns have strings of lights going across the streets and shops has gorgeous window displays. All this bright decoration light seems to cheer up the cold nights. In fact, today marks an important festival of light overcoming darkness. 

Today is Saint Lucia day, a long-standing tradition that is celebrated throughout Scandinavia.  Saint Lucia was born in southern Italy, in the third century A.D. Here is her story, found at http://www.newsweden.org/luciahistory.htm :

"According to the Sicilian legend, Lucia's mother, a wealthy lady, had been miraculously cured of an illness at the sepulcher of Saint Agatha in Catania. Lucia, a Christian, persuaded her mother in thankfulness to distribute her wealth to the poor. So, by candlelight, the mother and daughter went about the city secretly ministering to the poor of Syracuse. Unfortunately, this was during the last great persecution of Christians in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. The pagan young man, to whom Lucia was engaged, took a dim view of this distributing of her dowry, and denounced her to the prefect, Pascasius, who ordered that she be seized and tortured. Miraculously, when neither boiling oil nor burning pitch had the power to hurt her, she was blinded and slain with a sword. Her martyrdom is recorded in ancient sources and in an inscription found in Syracuse."

In Swedish households on the morning of December 13th, usually the eldest girl in the family portrays St Lucia, by wearing a white robe with a red sash and a crown of candles and evergreen. She serves her parents Lucia buns and coffee.  Schools and towns also choose "Lucia's" (often the prettiest girl).  Other girls may be maids, dressed in the white robes and carrying single candles, while boys may carry stars. 

We spent the day in the town of Lund today, and this evening we were able to witness a Saint Lucia day singing performance in the town square.  The choir sang beautifully.  Some songs were in Swedish, and others were in English.  The final song was the Santa Lucia song.  Its English lyrics are as follows:

Night walks with a heavy step

Round yard and hearth,
As the sun departs from earth,
Shadows are brooding.
There in our dark house,
Walking with lit candles,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Night walks grand, yet silent,
Now hear its gentle wings,
In every room so hushed,
Whispering like wings.
Look, at our threshold stands,
White-clad with light in her hair,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Darkness shall take flight soon,
From earth's valleys.
So she speaks
Wonderful words to us:
A new day will rise again
From the rosy sky…
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!