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Origin:
AD 304. In the early hours
of the morning of December 13th, a young woman, born around
the year 283 of rich and noble parents, dressed in a white
gown, with a red sash and a crown of lingonberry twigs and
blazing candles, would go from one farm to the next. She
carried a torch to light her way and brought baked goods to
each house. She returned home by sunrise. Every village had
its own Lucia. The custom is thought to have begun in some
of the richer farming districts of Sweden. It still persists
although the crowns are now electric lights. Lucia Day, in
its modern incarnation, has only been celebrated on a
national scale in Sweden since the 1920s, but variations of
today's celebration can be traced throughout Swedish history
to the Middle Ages and beyond to the 4th century martyrdom
of a Sicilian virgin named Lucia.
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What
Happens?
It is still custom on
December 13th for the youngest girl to dress in a white
dress, representing Lucia (she is called Lussibrud, meaning
Lucy bride) to serve breakfast-in-bed to the rest of the
family, waking them up by singing songs while walking
through the hallways. The breakfast is traditionally a
pastry called saffron buns or Lussekattor. A young boy may
do this instead of a young girl, dressing in similar clothes
and being called "Starboy". It is usually the youngest
member of the family that performs the service.
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