Re-Post from Last Year: St. Lucia Bringer of Light Free Doll and December Deals


I have always loved all things Scandinavian. Probably because I have Scandinavian (specifically Swedish and Danish) blood flowing through my veins!  Jeff does too.   
So this year I decided to honor our heritage and join with most of Scandinavia (and a lot of other places too) in celebration of St. Lucia Day!  This, the 13th day of December is when Christmas begins.  There is singing, worship, candle light processions, and feasts.

This is Carl Larsson's painting of Lucia, 1908 

In church, young women sing the traditional St. Lucia song which describes how Lucia overcame darkness and found light. One girl is chosen each year to represent Lucia.

 The story of St. Lucia (or St. Lucy) has many variations.  My favorite is the version that tells of a young Christian girl who brought food and clothing to families in hiding for their beliefs.  This version tells that Lucy wore the crown of candles on her head to light her way so that her hands could be free to serve and help those in need.  Her light is a preparation for the light that came from the Star of Bethlehem and the birth of "The Light of the World".   I have pinned a whole bunch of other versions if you are interested.


 My version of St. Lucia bread.  This symbolizes the headpiece St. Lucy wore. 




I Wish you could smell our house right now.  I just used this recipe and added a bit more sugar and juice from some oranges I had and some ground cloves and cinnamon (sorry just did everything to taste).   Then topped them with Craisins and holly leaves...we happen to have a holly bush which is so fun!  If you want a more detailed recipe, this looks like a good one.  

Here are our  mini-Lucia's.  They wanted candles on their heads but we opted for candles on the bread. :)  I did look for some electric head pieces but they are not easy to find!  Maybe next year. 




Such a fun and dramatic gift to give!  Our friends and neighbors seemed to really enjoy our new tradition. :)

 I also thought it would be fun to celebrate with a St. Lucy doll.  So I thought I'd share it with all of you!  Enjoy!


Just click on the picture and download.  For more freebies go HERE.  To order your own custom doll go HERE.

DECEMBER DEALS:  15% off all Printed Packages in by the 15th of December (last day to guarantee packages arrive in time for Christmas) Code: PRINTDEC2013

Half Off Paper Doll Coloring Book PDF.  Code: COLORCHRISTMAS

GO SHOPPING!


Do you celebrate St. Lucia day?  Have you adopted traditions from other parts of the world?  What traditions have you kept from your ancestors?

9 comments:

  1. I love this tradition! I think we'll have to start this one next year. Your girls seemed to enjoy themselves and they looked adorable in their outfits.
    I'll have to keep an eye out for crowns and candles through out the year! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you so much for the beautiful paper doll. I just printed her, and my little girl cannot wait to play with her. I am part Swedish and this is a lovely way to begin teaching my girl about Lucia. Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  3. If you are still looking for an electric St. Lucia headpiece, check out the American Dolls site. We bought one there 15-20 years ago, & it is still working well. It just needs new batteries every couple of years. - Marivene

    ReplyDelete
  4. I went to the American Girls Doll site to look for the St Lucia headpiece. It was part of the Kristen collection, but that doll has been archived & is no longer available. You might be able to find the crown on eBay or etsy. -Marivene

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Marivene! I looked on Amazon but didn't want to pay that price. They also had them online but shipping from Sweden and I didn't see them in time. I'm thinking I may just make some for next year...we'll see! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful! Just beautiful!! Sorry, I'm behind on your blog--you know, Christmas and all! Love you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi!
    It is really nice to see that you celebrate Lucia! All countries in scandinavia do it nowadays, it is such a nice tradition and you have put up real nice pictures of your own celebration.

    Here is the broadcasted celebration in Sweden from 2011.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X70oix9NISk

    /Johan

    ReplyDelete
  8. We love the paper doll coloring book! I'm excited that it is on sale again.

    ReplyDelete

Your comments mean so much. Thanks for taking the time to say something.