The Swedish
Tradition of
St.
Lucia
December
13
Background:
St. Lucia is an Italian saint who has
been "adopted" by the Swedes. (She
gave her dowry to the poor. Her fiancee denounced her for this. She was blinded
and burned. The flames didn't touch her so she was stabbed in the heart. The red
sash represents the wound. It is said that she appeared during a famine in
Sweden in the middle ages carrying food to the farmers across Lake Vännern.)
She is associated with the idea of
light. In the middle ages, December 13 fell on the longest day of the
year. (In Sweden, the sun is not up very long in winter. In some places
it doesn't come up at all.) This holiday celebrates the fact that the
days will now get longer.
Today:
On the morning of December 13, the
oldest daughter dresses in a special long white dress with a red ribbon
around the waist and white socks and no shoes. She puts a wreath made out
of leaves on her head. The wreath has 6 - 8 candles on
it. Nowadays the candles are usually battery powered light bulbs instead
of real candles. Her sisters also wear special long white dresses but
they have shiny ribbons around their waists and they have another shiny
ribbon around their heads.
They carry a candle in their hands. Her brothers wear a special long
white gown with a shiny sash and a pointed hat with three stars on it.
They carry a baton with a star on it. They are called Star Boys.
The children serve coffee and special
saffron bread to the rest of the family. They walk into the bedroom with
the oldest daughter in the front, followed by the next tallest girl, down
to the smallest. Then the boys follow with the tallest in the
front. As they bring in the Lucia bread and coffee the girls sing "Santa
Lucia" (in Swedish, of course), and then the boys sing "Stefan was a
Stable-boy." The children then go to their neighbors and teachers and
serve them the coffee and
bread.
Significance of Symbols:
candles - light
yellow (saffron) bread - light
bare feet - charity
(Traditionally, they can eat the
bread until Christmas, but not before St. Lucia)
Lucia
Bread
11 T. butter
6 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
3 pkg. dry yeast or 1 2/3 oz. fresh yeast
2 c. milk
1 gr. saffron -OR- 1/2 t. cardamom, 15 drops yellow
food color
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. raisins
1 egg
Grind saffron with a little sugar in a mortar and
pestle. Melt butter, add milk and heat to 130° (too hot to keep your finger in),
add salt and saffron. Mix dry ingredients and gradually add the hot milk
mixture. Knead the dough. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp
cloth and let rise
30 minutes. Knead again. Divide the dough into 30 parts. Roll into
traditional shapes, add raisin decoration and place on a greased sheet.
Let rise 30 minutes. Brush with beaten egg. Bake 5 minutes at
450°.
Note: Add 1/2 c. raisins to the dough if you like
lots of raisins.
