I can’t express to you how jealous I have always been of Saint Lucy’s Day.
When I first heard about the traditions (thank you, Kirsten), I desperately wanted to participate. While it’s probably wise that adults didn’t allow me to strap candles to my head (I am notoriously accident-prone), I still wanted a little part of that magic. The glow of candles! The smell of fresh-baked goodies! The fashion, honey!
Saint Lucy’s Day commemorates Lucia of Syracuse, a fourth century virgin martyr who died under Roman persecution. Lucia was visited by St. Agatha, who promised to cure her mother of a blood disease. Lucia decided to dedicate herself to God in the tradition of St. Agatha – to live a modest life, to give to the poor and to remain a virgin. This angered her pagan betrothed – who felt he’d been cheated out of the dowry he would’ve collected upon their union – so he ratted her out as a Christian to the Roman authorities. She survived a lot of pretty heinous torture before dying of a sword to the throat.
Saint Lucy’s legend states that she would bring food to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs during the Diocletianic Persecution. She wore a wreath with lit candles atop her head, which freed up her hands to carry more food.
Did this actually happen? Newp. What is known about Lucy’s actual life was fairly boilerplate; she was revered as a wise woman and she had a hand in a couple of minor miracles. But it was her death at the hands of Romans – and the fact that her name shares a root with Lux, Latin for light – that struck Christian imaginations. Stories were created featuring Saint Lucia during that time of persecution, bringing light and hope to other Christians.
And thus, we get cookies!
During St. Lucy’s Day celebrations, a girl or woman is dressed in white with a red rash – symbolizing baptism and the blood of her martyrdom – along with the famous wreath of candles. Sometimes, she (traditionally, the eldest daughter) is dressed up in her home, bringing a tray of cookies and coffee to her family. Other St. Lucy processions may feature a St. Lucy and her “attendants” at a church celebration. Sometimes, boys are a part of the procession, dressed as other religious or Christmas figures.
It’s obviously why she’s so popular in Sicily (she’s a hometown girl) and on Saint Lucia (she’s the island’s namesake, but also that’s probably why we call it St. Lucy’s Day – too confusing), but why is she so popular in Scandinavian countries? When Christian missionaries arrived, they felt that the message of St. Lucy would especially resonate with the people as they prepared for the long, cold winter.
Aaaaand it was easy to integrate some Yuletide practices that predated Christianity’s arrival.
St. Lucy’s Day falls on December 13th. Before calendars were standardized, this coincided with the Winter Solstice. The date may even stretch further than the Julian/Georgian calendar debacle, however – it is recorded as Lucia’s death day in the sixth and seventh centuries.
But. Lussinatta, the Lussi Night, also fell on December 13th in Sweden. This evil woman would ride through the air that night with her followers (The Wild Hunt!) and snatch up people found outside. She would slide down the chimneys of bad children and snatch them up. While the history on the where and when this folklore got going, many suspect that it may have played a part into merging St. Lucy’s Day and Lussi Night.
You know I’m about to talk about the food, right? Lussekatter (Lucia cats!) are saffron brioche-like buns shaped like a curled-up cat (or an S, depending on your sense of fun and whimsy.) The saffron gives the bun a yellow cast, not unlike St. Lucy’s crown of candles. Cuccia is a traditional Italian St. Lucy’s porridge, each ingredient honoring her in some way (she made a ship bearing wheat coming to the starving people in Sicily, and they were so hungry, they ate it without grinding it.) A braided sweet bread is often made to resemble the crown. Pepparkakor – or ginger cookies – are quintessential Swedish holiday fare, and commonly found on St. Lucy’s tray.