Scandinavian Girl wearing candle headdress on St. Lucy's Day, 1936.
Saint Lucy's Day or the Feast of St. Lucy (Santa Lucia, Saint Lucia or sometimes Lucia for short) is the Church feast day dedicated to St. Lucy and is observed on December 13, by the unreformed Julian calendar the longest night of the year; with a name derived from lux, lucis "light", Saint Lucy is the patron saint of those who are blind. Lucy was a Christian during the Diocletian persecution. She consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards took out her eyes with a fork. In medieval accounts, Saint Lucy's eyes are gouged out prior to her execution. In art, her eyes sometimes appear on a tray that she is holding. Its modern day celebration is generally associated with Sweden, but is also observed in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland (the Swedish speaking population), Malta, Italy, Bosnia, Bavaria, Croatia and Slovakia. In the United States it is celebrated in states with a large number of people of Scandinavian ancestry, often centered around church events.
In traditional celebrations, Saint Lucy comes as a young woman with lights and sweets. It is one of the few saint days observed in Scandinavia. In some forms, a procession is headed by one girl wearing a crown of candles (or lights), while others in the procession hold only a single candle each.
Wearing a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head, the girl that has been selected to portray Saint Lucy walks at the head of a procession of women, each holding a candle. The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned. The women sing a Lucia song while entering the room, to the melody of the traditional Neapolitan song Santa Lucia; the Italian lyrics describe the view from Santa Lucia in Naples, the various Scandinavian lyrics are fashioned for the occasion, describing the light with which Lucia overcomes the darkness. Each Scandinavian country has lyrics in their native tongues. After finishing this song, the procession sings Christmas carols or more songs about Lucia.
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Scandinavian Girl wearing candle headdress on St. Lucy's Day, 1936.
Saint Lucy's Day or the Feast of St. Lucy (Santa Lucia, Saint Lucia or sometimes Lucia for short) is the Church feast day dedicated to St. Lucy and is observed on December 13, by the unreformed Julian calendar the longest night of the year; with a name derived from lux, lucis "light", Saint Lucy is the patron saint of those who are blind.
Lucy was a Christian during the Diocletian persecution. She consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards took out her eyes with a fork. In medieval accounts, Saint Lucy's eyes are gouged out prior to her execution. In art, her eyes sometimes appear on a tray that she is holding.
Its modern day celebration is generally associated with Sweden, but is also observed in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland (the Swedish speaking population), Malta, Italy, Bosnia, Bavaria, Croatia and Slovakia. In the United States it is celebrated in states with a large number of people of Scandinavian ancestry, often centered around church events.
In traditional celebrations, Saint Lucy comes as a young woman with lights and sweets. It is one of the few saint days observed in Scandinavia. In some forms, a procession is headed by one girl wearing a crown of candles (or lights), while others in the procession hold only a single candle each.
Wearing a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head, the girl that has been selected to portray Saint Lucy walks at the head of a procession of women, each holding a candle. The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned. The women sing a Lucia song while entering the room, to the melody of the traditional Neapolitan song Santa Lucia; the Italian lyrics describe the view from Santa Lucia in Naples, the various Scandinavian lyrics are fashioned for the occasion, describing the light with which Lucia overcomes the darkness. Each Scandinavian country has lyrics in their native tongues. After finishing this song, the procession sings Christmas carols or more songs about Lucia.
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