Happy St. Lucia Day

Happy St. Lucia day to all my wonderful Swedish loved ones!

I have lit my candles in honor of this Swedish holiday.

Along with St. Lucia is Star Boy and other companions.

Let me tell you, quoting from a book, about St. Lucia Day.

"At some point in history, goes the legend, Sweden was in the grip of a terrible famine. At the height of that dark, icy winter, hunger and suffering were at their worst. People were reduced to grinding tree bark to bake into a bitter bread. But on the long night of St. Lucia Day a brilliantly-lit ship came sailing across the stormy waters of Lake Vännern. At the helm stood a beautiful young woman dressed all in white, with a face so radiant that there was a glow of light all about her head. It was St. Lucia, come with a shipload of food for the hungry, all of which she distributed with a free and loving hand."

(By the way, this was in the province of Värmland, birthplace of my grandmother.)

Apparently this legend is now dramatized by "having the eldest daughter in the house play the part of Lucia and bring coffee and food to the rest of the household on December 13. The young woman wore candles set in a crown festooned with lingonberry leaves, a custom that still persists."

(quotes taken from a booklet entitled "Lucia, Child of Light" by Florence Ekstrand)

Now, don't you wish you were Swedish too?