A Holiday of Light

Happy Santa Lucia day! The 13th of December is widely celebrated in Sweden as the feast of the early Christian martyr, St. Lucy.  It is celebrated with such vigor there probably because Sweden is so dang dark and the feast of St. Lucy celebrates the triumph of light over darkness.  It is celebrated in remembrance of St. Lucy visiting the starving Christians in the catacombs wearing a wreath of candles on her head to illuminate her path so as to leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible.

Traditionally the oldest girl in Swedish families brings everyone breakfast in bed wearing a flaming wreath of candles (cool huh?).  There are also special processions and prayers to go along with the celebration.  We, however, are not Swedish so Anne does not have to wear a flaming headdress (not this year anyways).  Instead we are celebrating the day as Germans celebrate everything…with food.

For breakfast this morning Mom made us a Santa Lucia Crown.   A sweet bread with maraschino cherries and a powdered sugar glaze.img_3672

Mom found this recipe in a cookbook called “Cooking with the Saints” several years ago and it has been part of our family’s tradition ever since.

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Stephen

Stephen is the saxophone player for Longbow and draws the H.A.T.S. comics and the Between Class Comics.

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