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?
