Lucy Day 12/13

[dado potato]

... Look, at the threshold she stands,
White-clad with light in her hair,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia!

Darkness shall take flight soon
From the earth's valleys.
So she speaks
Wonderful words to us:
A new day will rise again
From the rosy sky...
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia!

I have mental images of Swedish star-boys in cone-shaped hats, and of lucy-girls wearing white gowns with red sashes, and crowns of candles (LEDs probably safer!) on their heads. One year I attended a Lucy Day celebration at a Swedish Lutheran church in Duluth/Superior. There were no star-boys. But there was Lucy with a crown of lights! And she had about 12 attendants, each carrying a candle. They processed forward along the candle-lit center aisle of the nave, and spread into a formation at the front. Lucy proclaimed her prepared remarks, and the people sang a few songs in English. Then there was coffee in the church basement, and pastries you would not believe!

Since then, I have made Lucy Day the starting point of my festive season, which I carry on gleefully until January 6. I believe Lucy Day is a good occasion to try with a little extra effort to be compassionate in respect of persons who are going over a rough patch of road. It will be rough until it is smooth, but "all will be well".

[Tybee]

I remember this song from childhood:

Wake up, Lucia comes today,O, be glad! Lucia comes in bright arrayTo light the way to Christmas day!Wake up, Lucia greets us here!Oh, be glad! Lucia comes again this year –To bring us joy and bring us cheer!She enters with the morning light.Oh, be glad! Her happy face ‘neath candles brightDispels the darkness of the night!

[Chicken lady]

Pastries! Yes! One of my students celebrates and brings pastries and he is in my class tomorrow!

[razz]

I am always delighted to learn something unexpected. Will have to research the story behind Lucy Day. Your verbal imagery is lovely, Dado.

[BikingLady]

ditto above

[BikingLady]

https://www.northpark.edu/centers/ce...red-tradition/

[Zoe Girl]

I have a Swedish American Girl doll with the wreath of candles and white nightgown. I knew it was from the Christmas season but not much else. Thank you for sharing

[JaneV2.0]

A timely reminder that there are lots of holidays between Thanksgiving and Epiphany. Happy holidays, everyone!

[razz]

Thanks for the link to the history!

[KayLR]

I have a Swedish American Girl doll with the wreath of candles and white nightgown. I knew it was from the Christmas season but not much else. Thank you for sharing

I read the AG book about Kristen --along with some others---to my girls when they were small. they loved them, and really I think learned something about different time periods in American history. Now that my granddaughter is that age, I recently tried to find those books for her as she's quite a reader! But nope---the American Girls books are all about contemporary girls, look almost Disney-fied. Blecch.