Each year on Dec. 13, St. Lucia Day is celebrated throughout Sweden, Norway, and Finland. The festival marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Scandinavia, and it is meant to bring hope and light during the darkest time of the year. According to the legend, she was threatened to be taken to a brothel if she did not renounce her Christian beliefs, but they were unable to move her, even with a thousand men and fifty oxen pulling. Immensely atmospheric, this 400-year-old custom brings peaceful joy each year on 13 December – and it’s spreading across the world. In Estonia Saint Lucia Day (Luutsinapäev in Estonian) was traditionally celebrated by the local Estonian Swedes. Excerpt: "Nu bæres lyset frem | stolt på din krone. In an effort to keep the tradition relevant to today, the selection process changed in 2011 to be more based upon qualities of the legendary Lucia that can be universally celebrated. The highest three nominees are included. The Lucia tradition is as integral to Swedish culture as midsummer and crayfish parties. A special baked bun, Lussekatt (St. Lucy Bun), made with saffron and in use as early as November, is a very popular Christmas tradition. Impressive parades are held in many cities of the U.S. like the ones in Seattle, Savannah in Georgia, New Orleans, Syracuse, and Las Vegas. The 2018 edition saw the introduction of its first Caribbean Rum Aw… Six sophomore women are chosen to be a part of the Court of St. Lucia. | Around in house and home | The song shall sound now. In Scandinavia (as late as until the mid 18th century) this date was the longest night of the year, coinciding with Winter Solstice, due to the Julian Calendar being employed at that time. The Catholic Encyclopedia. They observe "Luciadagen" a week before the Winter Solstice. Omissions? While rarely observed at home, parents often take time off work to watch these school processions in the morning, and if their child should be chosen to be Lucia, it is considered a great honor. Updates? "), The Christian version used in churches is Sankta Lucia from 1982, by priest Holger Lissner.[34]. Dressed in a white gown with a red sash around her waist and a wreath of… The National Festival of Lights and Renewal is held the night before the holiday, in honour of St. Lucy of Syracuse the saint of light. This date is attested in the pre-Tridentic Monastic calendar, probably going back to the earliest attestations of her life in the 6th and 7th centuries, and it is the date used throughout Europe. Saint Agatha told Lucy that the illness would be cured through faith, and Lucy was able to convince her mother to cancel the wedding and donate the dowry to the poor. Did you know? There is also a modern version with simpler lyrics for children: Ute är mörkt och kallt (Outside, it's dark and cold). The Nordic observation of St. Lucy is first attested in the Middle Ages, and continued after the Protestant Reformation in the 1520s and 1530s, although the modern celebration is only about 200 years old. Do you celebrate Lucia in your household? St. Lucia’s Day is an annual tradition celebrated in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Bosnia, Croatia, and even in Italy in honor of St. Lucia (St. Lucy), one of the earliest Christian martyrs executed by the Romans in 304 CE because of her religious beliefs. Schools generally close around noon on the day of the festival so that families can prepare for the holiday. [9] The Feast of Saint Lucy became a universal feast of the Church in the 6th century, commemorating the Christian martyr's death on 13 December 304 A.D.[10][11][12] St. Lucy's Day appears in the sacramentary of Gregory, as well as that of Bede, and Christian churches were dedicated to Saint Lucy in Italy as well as in England.[10][11]. Pantano, Kayla. [40], The town of Mucuchíes in Mérida state, Venezuela, has chosen as their patron saints St. Lucy and St. Benedict the Moor. The observance commemorates Lucia of Syracuse, an early-4th-century virgin martyr under the Diocletianic Persecution,[1] who according to legend brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs, wearing a candle lit wreath on her head to light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible. Other countries like … The Swedish variant of this white-dressed Kindchen Jesus, or Christkind, was called Kinken Jes, and started to appear in upper-class families in the 18th century on Christmas Eve with a candle-wreath in her hair, handing out candy and cakes to the children. [24], St. Lucy is also popular among children in some regions of North-Eastern Italy, namely Trentino, East Lombardy (Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Lodi and Mantua), parts of Veneto (Verona), parts of Emilia-Romagna (Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia and Bologna), and all of Friuli, where she is said to bring gifts to good children and coal to bad ones the night between 12 and 13 December. Planning a St. Lucia Procession Find your participants. Bastille Day: July 14. Wheat grains are planted in a round dish or plate of soil, then watered. These traditional foods are also given to visitors during the day. The festival begins with a procession led by the St. Lucia designee, who is followed by young girls dressed in white and wearing lighted wreaths on their heads and boys dressed in white pajama-like costume singing traditional songs. The first settlers were French and they named the island after Saint Lucia. Continuing to uphold this ritual helps people keep ties with the Scandinavian countries.[38]. It marks the date in 1979 when Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Feast of St. Lucy, also known as St. Lucia Day, is celebrated on or around December 13. Same source states use of the name "Little Yule" for the day, that it was among the most important days of the year, that it marked the start of Christmas month, and that with the move to the Gregorian calendar (in Sweden 1753) the date (not the celebration) "completely lost its appropriateness/significance". Alio, Jacqueline. Although no sources for her life-story exist other than in hagiographies, St. Lucy, whose name Lucia refers to "light" (Lux, lucis), is known to have been a Sicilian saint who suffered a sad death in Siracusa, Sicily, around AD 310. A Swedish source[15] states that the date of (Winter Solstice, St. Lucia, Lucinatta, Lucia-day, Lussi-mass...) i.e. Each town and village chooses a St. Lucia who leads the town’s young girls on a procession. [14] Early Christians considered this a likely date for their saviour's nativity, as it was commonly held that the world was created on Spring equinox (thought to fall on 25 March at the time), and that Christ had been conceived on that date, being born 9 months later on Winter solstice.[14]. So, while the world changed from a Julian to a Gregorian calendar system—and hence acquired a new date for the Winter Solstice—St Lucy's Day was kept at 13 December, and not moved to the 21. This page was last edited on 29 January 2021, at 18:34. The Yule season was a time for feasting, drinking, gift-giving, and gatherings, but also the season of awareness and fear of the forces of the dark. Last updated November 13, 2020 Volume 1, pp 22–25. The new green shoots, reminding us of the new life born in Bethlehem, may be tied with a ribbon and put near or under the Christmas tree. These women do not have to have a Swedish connection or the ability to sing (since the court goes caroling in the early morning). [21], In Croatia, Hungary and some their neighbouring countries, a popular tradition on Saint Lucy's Day involves planting wheat grains; nowadays this serves as symbol of the new life born in Bethlehem, with a candle sometimes placed in the middle of the new plant as a symbol of the Light of Christ that Saint Lucia brings. [22], St. Lucy is the patron saint of the city of Siracusa (Sicily). | Rundt om i hus og hjem | sangen skal tone." It is likely that tradition owes its popularity in the Nordic countries to the extreme change in daylight hours between the seasons in this region. St. Lucia Day processions are traditionally … Unlike the less-well-known feast days that pepper the December calendar, St. Lucia Day has made its way to the church basements and fellowship halls of Lutheran and Covenant churches all over the United States. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. ("The light's carried forward | proudly on your crown. St. Lucia Day. [23] Sicilians recall a legend that holds that a famine ended on her feast day when ships loaded with grain entered the harbor. In earlier centuries the Norse celebrated the winter solstice with large bonfires meant to scare off evil spirits and to alter the course of the sun. Every year a Lucia is picked from the congregation. The celebration of St. Lucia Day is rooted in Christian and pagan traditions. Whatever it was that Lucia actually did and no matter where, she is now a symbol of faith and hope in Italy, Sweden and even Texas, now that my family has settled there! In Hungary and Croatia, a popular tradition on Saint Lucy's Day involves planting wheat grains that grow to be several centimetres tall by Christmas Day, representing the Nativity of Jesus. Corrections? While this does not hold for our current Gregorian calendar, a discrepancy of 8 days would have been the case in the Julian calendar during the 14th century, resulting in Winter solstice falling on 13 December. First, the campus community is invited to submit nominations of any sophomore woman who exemplifies the qualities of courageous leadership, service to others, strength of character, and compassion and therefore is a light to others. On December 13, one of the most famous of all Swedish celebrations takes place: St. Lucia Day, a festival of light in the long, dark Scandinavian winter. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The St. Lucy of Finland has been elected since 1949 and she is crowned in the Helsinki Cathedral. Saint Lucy's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Lucy, is a Christian feast day observed on 13 December. Schools and kindergartens also use the occasion to mark the event as a special day for children on one of the final days before the Christmas holidays, but it does not have much impact anywhere else in society. St. Lucy (Lucia) feast day brings many different types of celebrations in various countries. Independence Day is a St Lucia holiday where all come together to celebrate the pride of their nation. Språkteigen. The choice of 13 December as Saint Lucy's day, however, predates the eight-day error of the 14th century Julian calendar. "Palm in Christian Symbolism." Saint Lucy was able to die only when she was given the Christian Last Rites. St. Here, it is traditional to eat whole grains instead of bread on 13 December. 2006. Instead they stacked materials for a fire around her and set light to it, but she would not stop speaking, insisting that her death would lessen the fear of it for other Christians and bring grief to non-believers. Local St. Lucies are elected in almost every place where there is a Swedish populace in Finland. Saint Lucy's Day is celebrated also in the Faroe Islands. Let us know in the comments! The public holiday was by no means gifted by the British Empire or even white abolitionists. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/St-Lucias-Day, British Broadcasting Corporation - Saint Lucy, Saint Lucia’s Day - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Saint Lucia’s Day - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). With the original adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century the discrepancy was 10 days and had increased to 11 days in the 18th century when Scandinavia adopted the new calendar, with Winter solstice falling on 9 December. One of the earliest Christian martyrs, St. Lucia was killed by the Romans in 304 ce because of her religious beliefs. The celebration of Saint Lucy's Day is said to help one live the winter days with enough light. Where Is St. Lucia Day Celebrated. [2] In Scandinavia, where Lucy is called Santa Lucia in Norwegian and Danish and Sankta Lucia in Swedish, she is represented as a lady in a white dress symbolizing a baptismal robe and a red sash symbolizing the blood of her martyrdom, with a crown or wreath of candles on her head. Later on in the day, the procession usually visits local retirement homes, hospitals, and nursing homes. Hamer, Richard. The modern festival of light combines elements of both pagan and Christian traditions. [1][6], Saint Lucy's Day is celebrated most widely in Scandinavia and in Italy, with each emphasising a different aspect of her story. Saint Lucy or Lucia, whose name comes from the Latin word "lux" meaning light, links with this element and with the days growing longer after the Winter solstice. It's a … Rugelach, which means “little twists” in … Townspeople honor her with a candle-lit procession described by the cultural website Sweden.se as “one of the more exotic-looking Swedish customs.” How Is St. Lucia Day Celebrated After finishing this song, the procession sings Christmas carols or more songs about Lucia. Lussinatta, the Lussi Night, was marked in Sweden 13 December. Originally the observance of the winter solstice, and the rebirth of the sun, it brought about many practices that remain in the Advent and Christmas celebrations today. [17], There is little evidence that the legend itself derives from the folklore of northern Europe, but the similarities in the names ("Lussi" and "Lucia"), and the date of her festival, 13 December, suggest that two separate traditions may have been brought together in the modern-day celebrations in Scandinavia. [35] The Lussinatt, the night of 13 December, was largely forgotten in Norway at the beginning of the 20th century, though still remembered as an ominous night, and also celebrated in some areas, especially in Mid, Central and Eastern inland. The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucy's life when she was sentenced to be burned. The night before candles are lit and all electrical lights are turned off, and on the Sunday closest to 13 December Danes traditionally attend church. Today most cities in Sweden appoint a Lucy every year. Families observe St. Lucia’s Day in their homes by having one of their daughters (traditionally the eldest) dress in white and serve coffee and baked goods, such as saffron bread (lussekatter) and ginger biscuits, to the other members of the family. The holiday is important all throughout the nation, especially in northern Italy and Sicily. There is endless beauty beneath the surface with rainbow colour reefs and abundant marine life. The festival is a three-day event celebrating and showcasing the unique cuisine and rum of the island and region. Another company of spirits was said to come riding through the night around Yule itself, journeying through the air, over land and water. This traditional festival of lights in Scandinavia honors St. Lucia, one of the earliest Christian martyrs, but was incorporated with earlier Norse solstice traditions after many Norsemen converted to Christianity around 1000 A.D. In Saint Lucia, a small island nation in the Caribbean named after its patron saint, St. Lucy, 13 December is celebrated as National Day. This usually takes the form of cuccia,[22] a dish of boiled wheat berries often mixed with ricotta and honey, or sometimes served as a savory soup with beans. The boys are often incorporated in the procession, staging as magi with tall hats and star-staffs. Another theory claims that the Lucy celebration evolved from old Swedish traditions of “star boys” and white-dressed angels singing Christmas carols at different events during Advent and Christmas. Later, Christian missionaries arrived in Scandinavia to evangelize the local population, carrying the commemoration of Saint Lucy with them, and this "story of a young girl bringing light in the midst of darkness no doubt held great meaning for people who, in the midst of a North Sea December, were longing for the relief of warmth and light". St Lucy is celebrated as a "beacon of brightness" in the darkest time of year. Boys take part in the procession, playing different roles associated with Christmas. Not to come across the evil creatures, people stayed at home during the … [29][30] In another case a six-year-old boy was not allowed to appear with a Lucy crown because the school said it couldn't guarantee his safety. St. Lucia’s Day is a Nordic holiday celebrated on December 13th, or Winter Solstice. Did you know? It is Saint Lucia's National Day and marks the Feast Day of Saint Lucia, the patron saint of the island. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [25] It is in actuality one of the many pagan traditions found in Croatia and other Slavic nations, that once served as part of rituals to appease their many deities and fairies, which were mostly forgotten after their Christianization. The modern tradition of having public processions in the Swedish cities started in 1927 when a newspaper in Stockholm elected an official Lucy for Stockholm that year. Catholic celebrations take place on 13 December and in May. Once the Pagan festival of lights, which takes place during the longest night of the year, St. Lucia’s Day is now a widely-celebrated holiday that kicks off a month-long Christmastime celebration. The Windward island now known as Saint Lucia was first discovered by Europeans in the late 15th or early 16th century. Children are asked to leave some coffee for Lucia, a carrot for the donkey and a glass of wine for Castaldo. When is Saint Lucia Independence Day? [4][5] Falling within the Advent season, Saint Lucy's Day is viewed as a precursor of Christmastide, pointing to the arrival of the Light of Christ in the calendar on Christmas Day. The women are chosen by their peers honoring the qualities of the legendary Lucia. Saint Lucy is often depicted in art with a palm as the symbol of martyrdom. [7], A special devotion to Saint Lucy is practiced in the Italian regions of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige, in the north of the country, and Sicily, in the south, as well as in the Croatian coastal region of Dalmatia. Today, on Dec. 13, many people in Sweden, Norway and parts of Finland celebrate St. Lucia Day, sometimes called St. Lucy’s Day, a traditional festival of lights. [31], The Finnish celebrations have been historically tied to Swedish culture and the Swedish-speaking Finns. Saint Lucia Dive & Adventure Week September 13 – 19. The Swedish lyrics to the Neapolitan song Santa Lucia have traditionally been either Natten går tunga fjät (The Night steps heavily)[28] or Sankta Lucia, ljusklara hägring (Saint Lucy, bright mirage). To celebrate Dwynwen, Welsh lovers traditionally exchange “love spoons” – ornate wooden utensils featuring symbols to express different sentiments. Although it is most commonly celebrated in Scandinavia, many Lutheran… This itself might be an echo of the myth of the Wild Hunt, called Oskoreia in Scandinavia, found across Northern, Western and Central Europe. Saint Lucia's Day is celebrated in Italy with a feast held on December 13. They must not watch Santa Lucia delivering these gifts, or she will throw ashes in their eyes, temporarily blinding them. In the Roman Empire, 25 December (in the Julian Calendar) date was celebrated as being the day when the Sun was born, the birthday of Sol Invictus, as can be seen in the Chronography of 354. If the planter is kept moist, the seeds germinate and the shoots are ideally several inches high by Christmas. now. According to the old Julian Calendar, December 13 (the date that is traditionally given as the day in 304 A.D. when the Romans killed Lucia for bringing food to persecuted Christians hiding in Rome) was also the shortest day of the year. This date corresponding to the date of the Winter solstice. Saint Lucy is considered the patron saint of dressmakers, who showed their talent making elaborate dresses out of paper. Another gouged out her eyes in an attempt to force her into complacency, but her eyes were miraculously restored. While many feel a fierce national pride for the St George's cross and the patron saint's day (23rd April) England in fact shares St George's with a host of other countries and places. Moving the needle forward and celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8th, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) is amplifying the “She is Saint Lucia” campaign with an inspiring video tribute in a continued effort to spotlight Saint Lucian women around the world. Traditions such as this one stubbornly live on to this day, the deities and original meanings long forgotten, their meanings simply replaced with ones more in accordance with Christianity. The public St. Lucia celebration in Lindsborg, Kansas is a way to display the town’s Swedish heritage, and serves as a rallying point for the community. "Happy Saint Lucy's Day in Italy!". Wales celebrates its version of Valentine’s Day on Jan. 25. The traditional Norwegian version of the Neapolitan song is, just like the Danish, not especially Christian in nature, the only Christian concept being "Sankta Lucia". Like many of the Caribbean Islands the cuisine of St Lucia is influenced by the culture of the French, British, Indian and African. In Denmark, the Day of Lucy (Luciadag) was first celebrated on 13 December 1944. The island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean is the only sovereign nation in the world to be named after a woman. St Lucia is a typically Caribbean island country, with the weather and lively atmosphere that reflects the way of life here, celebrated by annual festivals. [18], According to the traditional story, Lucy was born of rich and noble parents about the year 283. Today, St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated on December 13 throughout Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Bosnia, Croatia, and Finland’s Swedish-speaking areas. [36] In the past, a jour ouvert celebration has continued into the sunrise of 13 December. [19] A devout Christian who had taken a vow of virginity, her mother betrothed her to a pagan. It also brings visitors to the town, which benefits the town financially. Usually, the Sunday in Advent closest to 13 December is set aside for St. Lucy, in which the traditional Scandinavian procession is observed. She was seeking help for her mother's long-term illness at the shrine of Saint Agatha when the saint appeared to her in a dream beside the shrine. The world-renowned Jazz Festival attracts huge crowds. [20], In one story, Saint Lucy was working to help Christians hiding in the catacombs during the terror under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and in order to bring with her as many supplies as possible, she needed to have both hands free. [32] The first records of St. Lucy celebrations in Finland are from 1898, and the first large celebrations came in 1930, a couple of years after the popularization of the celebrations in Sweden. / Solen har gått sin vei / skyggene truer." Like the Swedish tradition, and unlike the Danish, Lucy is largely a secular event in Norway, and is observed in kindergartens and schools (often through secondary level). The festival is meant to bring hope and light…. In Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, Lucy (called Lucia) is venerated on 13 December in a ceremony where a girl is elected to portray Lucia. A beautiful savior in the harsh winter night. The town of Mollerussa since 1963 holds a contest of paper clothing around this day. There are also a number of additional historical traditions connected with the celebration, which are not widely observed. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. This is exactly what the holiday, and what Lucia, in Sweden stands represents: light, hope, and kindness in the dark and the cold. Guinness World Records has noted the Lucy procession in Ericsson Globe in Stockholm as the largest in the world, with 1200 participants from Adolf Fredrik's Music School, Stockholms Musikgymnasium and Stockholmläns Blåsarsymfoniker. In this celebration, decorative lights (mostly bearing a Christmas theme) are lit in the capital city of Castries; artisans present decorated lanterns for competition; and the official activities end with a fireworks display. She solved this problem by attaching candles to a wreath on her head. [21], Catholic celebrations take place on 13 December and in May. Saint Lucia is one of the most scenic islands in Caribbean with world-class dive sites and snorkeling just off shore. [37], The celebration of St. Lucia Day is popular among Scandinavian Americans, and is practiced in many different contexts, including (but not limited to) parties, at home, in churches, and through organizations across the country. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which is the successor denomination to hundreds of Scandinavian and German Lutheran congregations, St. Lucy is treated as a commemoration on 13 December, in which red vestments are worn. NRK radio. The selection of the court and Lucia is a two step process. St. Lucia’s Day is now celebrated by a girl dressing in a white dress with a red sash round her waist and a … Known as Saint Dwynwen’s day, it commemorates the legend of the nation’s patron saint of love. [2][3] Her feast day, which coincided with the shortest day of the year prior to calendar reforms, is widely celebrated as a festival of light. It was not until after World War II that the modern celebration of Lucia in Norway became adopted on a larger scale. However, it has in recent years also been incorporated in the Advent liturgy in the Church of Norway. Historically Norwegians considered what they called Lussinatten the longest night of the year and no work was to be done. [7], In Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Swedish-speaking regions of Finland, as songs are sung, girls dressed as Saint Lucy carry cookies and saffron buns in procession, which symbolizes bringing the Light of Christ into the world's darkness. Express different sentiments Lucia ’ s Day is said to help one live the Winter Solstice homes and churches singing... Are now celebrated each year on Dec. 13, St. Lucy containing her is. To eat whole grains instead of bread on 13 December – and ’. 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