St. Lucia Legend
The festival of St. Lucia, which begins the Christmas season in Sweden, is traditionally celebrated on December 13. The "Festival of Lights" stems from the fourth-century martyrdom of an Italian saint and the incidents which followed.
A woman named Lucia, which means light, was born to a prosperous family in Sicily. Her father died when she was young, so Lucia was raised by her mother in the Christian tradition. When Lucia was a young woman, her mother became very ill, and Lucia prayed and vowed that if her mother could be healed, she would remain unmarried and devote her life to God. Lucia's mother was healed. She revealed her vow to her mother, convincing her to allow her to give her inheritance, which would have been her wedding dowry, to the poor. Lucia's mother was touched and grateful for her healing, so she agreed, but Lucia's fiancé was upset. He reported Lucia to the government as being a witch and helping the Christians.
Lucia was called before a judge and was killed because she refused to renounce her Christian faith. At twenty years old, Lucia became a martyr. Accounts of miracles followed. According to Swedish legend, after Lucia's death, a ship carrying a maiden "clothed in white and crowned with light" appeared on the shore of a town in Sweden during a great famine. The maiden, widely believed to be Lucia, distributed food and clothing to the needy, thus endearing herself to the Swedish people.
Beyond the Lucia story in Sweden, different stories and traditions surround St. Lucia from around the world. All focus on the central themes of service and light.
At Â鶹ÊÓƵ, the St. Lucia festival is rooted in the Swedish culture and the Christian faith, yet all people can draw inspiration from Lucia's lessons. It reminds us of many other incredible women throughout history and is an opportunity to celebrate people in our current lives who have displayed similar qualities of service to others, strength of character, courageous leadership, and compassion.
