December 13: Lucia Day

Today is a special day for those of us with Scandinavian roots. 

It is St. Lucia Day.

Even though this young woman was from Italy, we have somehow adopted her into our Swedish traditions.  On this day, the oldest daughter in the family dresses up in a long white gown with a red sash and, by candlelight, awakens the rest of the family members very early in the morning with a tray of saffron buns and some hot coffee. 

 

For more information on how all this works, please click on the link below: 

http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Lifestyle/Traditions/Celebrating-the-Swedish-way/Lucia/

This year, Miss E is old enough to sort of "get it" and we have participated in two pageants thus far.

In one pageant she was a little tomte girl and in the second - held last weekend at North Park University in Chicago,  she was in the audience wearing her very own miniature Lucia outfit.

 

 

Just this week I was watching a sewing show on PBS and I learned something about this dress that I didn't know when I found it calling to me in a thrift store: three rows of pleating on a hemline isn't just for accommodating a growing girl, but it represents the Holy Trinity. This dress was possibly a First Communion dress used by its former owner!

         Miss E didn't wear the candles on her head for very long.  This was a gift brought right from Sweden by Anne's

                 former SVF roomie, Elin.  Tack, Elin!

 

Once outfitted we were off to the pageant and John and Kari met us there.
 

 

And, once again, Miss E - for the third year in a row now - loved the candle lights, the singing and the presence of a beautiful Lucia maiden. (And the Lucia "helpers" with their sparkly silver head wreaths and belts, the wild pepparkakor boys who threw candy out to the audience,

 the dance up front with Mr. Peterson and the "big" kids.) 

Next year, we must bring Miss M, too!

 

 

 

H A P P Y     L U C I A    D A Y !