December 13th, Saint Lucia Day is a celebration of light. A beautiful way to honor the spirit of Christmas, a season of love, peace and tolerance, is to introduce children to festivities taking place in different cultures around the world. Learning of histories and stories, tasting festive foods, and honoring foreign traditions opens hearts and minds. In turn, family bonds are strengthened while merrymaking together.
One such fest is St. Lucia, most popularly celebrated in Scandinavia and Italy. St. Lucia is a traditional Christian feast day held on December 13th welcoming the beginning of the Christmas season. Also known as a Celebration of Light, St. Lucia Day originally coincided with the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.
The young woman for whom this feast day commemorates is Lucia of Syracuse. Lucia, meaning light in Italian, was said to be extraordinarily beautiful. Light shining from her eyes was fueled by her love for Christ emanating both a physical and spiritual radiance about her.
The story of Saint Lucia, an early-4th-century virgin martyr, is both wonderful and tragic. Lucia was raised to believe in Christ and at a young age dedicated her life to God in service to the poor. In Italy, the year 283 A.D. was a time of great political and social unrest. The emperor of Rome issued strict demands against those practicing the Christian religion.
It is said that Lucia, pardoned because of her family’s royal status, visited catacombs under the Sicilian city of Syracuse where Christians hid to avoid persecution. To light her way, Lucia wore a wreath of candles on her head. This enabled her to carry food and water attending to those forced to live in desperate conditions. Eventually, Lucia was caught and put to death.
Each winter on December 13th amidst the darkest time of the year, children around the world take part in commemorating Saint Lucia with a Celebration of Light. In towns and schools throughout Sweden, children dress up to walk in reverent church processions.
Girls and boys wear long white gowns as a symbol of purity. Girls place a wreath or crown of candles on their head and tie a red sash about the waist or shoulders symbolizing the blood of St. Lucia’s martyrdom. Boys wear white cone-shaped hats decorated with gold stars and carry attendant candles. It is a long-standing ceremonial tribute to this saintly young woman.
Following the tradition of families in Sweden, you can bring Lucia’s story into your home of learning and celebrate St. Lucia Day with loved ones. On December 13th, Swedish children awaken early and dress in white nightgowns. The eldest daughter in the family ties a red sash around her waist, places a candle wreath on her head and leads the sibling procession to their parents’ darkened bedroom. They present their mother and father with a breakfast tray of lussekatter (bright saffron buns), pepparkakor (gingersnaps) and cups of steaming coffee. This gesture creates a thoughtful contribution to the family’s Christmastide traditions.
Music plays an important part in Saint Lucia traditions. Classical Christmas carols such as Oh Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night can be sung or played in the background adding to the reverence and calming spirit of your family’s observance of Saint Lucia Day. You are invited to add this Swedish Saint Lucia playlist to your festivities.
Saint Lucia Day: A Celebration of Light brings with it a rich source of love and goodness. Saint Lucia Day is a valuable ancient and foreign celebration worth learning about, teaching to your children and introducing into your family’s Christmas holiday traditions.
Little Advent Candle
When our children were young, each December 1st a little advent candle was set in the window on the landing of the stairwell leading up to their bedrooms. It marked the beginning of our family Christmas celebrations. Each evening at dusk, I would light the candle and a child would take their turn marking off the day in a countdown to Christmas. An exciting nighttime ritual!
To Make Your Little Advent Candle:
-purchase a candle in a small jar –download calendar squares and print onto full label sheet or plain paper -cut out one calendar square (save others for Decembers-to-come) -peel off back of calendar square and stick to jar, glue if printed on paper -choose a favorite window in your home to set candle, collect a marker and with your children, begin marking off the days until Christmas!
The founder and author of Golden Days at Home preschool curriculum savors all opportunities to play and travel with her now grown children. She and her husband hike, bike and enjoy living on a stream in Boulder, Colorado with their elderly English Mastiff, Roxy.
