Stahlke Adoption

Lucy

On December 13, people in Scandinavia celebrate Santa Lucia Day. Since my 50th birthday, my interest in things Swedish has escalated, so I explored the history of this saint.

Lucia held firmly to her faith during the reign of Diocletian, when Christians in the Roman Empire were often executed for their beliefs. According to legend, she and her mother would go out at night to distribute food to persecuted Christians, carrying candles to light their way. Lucia refused to marry a non-believer, and instead gave away her dowry to the poor. Her spurned fiance turned her in to the authorities. She suffered much, including the gouging of her eyes, before being martyred in Sicily in 304 AD.

The name "Lucia" means light, and her feast day landed on the winter solstice (in past centuries when Scandinavian countries used the Julian calendar). In the dark mid-winter of Sweden, celebrations of light resonate deeply. Girls dressed in white robes, with a red sash and a crown of candles on their heads, process through the home, delivering breakfast to their parents. The event marks the beginning of the Christmas season.

The breakfast includes "Lusse-buns" made with saffron and often decorated with two raisins (for Lucia's eyes). Yesterday I drove around our area looking for saffron, which I finally found at Whole Foods. It's the most expensive spice in the world, handpicked in Spain and costing $300 per ounce. Luckily, my recipe called for only a pinch, so I got out of the store for $5.

We didn't ask our girls to wear candles on their heads, but several years ago Rachel chose a Lucia doll. Our pastor and his wife took Rachel, Sarah, and me to the American Girl store in downtown Chicago and allowed the girls to choose whichever doll they wanted. This photo of Rachel's Lucia doll was published in the _Lutheran Witness_ in 2008.

posted by Stahlkes @ 11:59 AM