"What Is...?" Wednesday

The Festival of Santa Lucia

(in loving memory of my grandparents)

The festival of Santa Lucia begins before dawn, on the thirteenth of December, which under the old Julian calendar (used in Sweden before 1753) was Christmas Day and the longest night of the year. Throughout Sweden, the eldest daughter in each household comes to her sleeping parents, dressed in a long white gown tied with a red sash, and wearing a crown of lingonberry leaves in which are set seven lighted candies. In her hands she carries a tray of steaming hot coffee and "Lussekattor" (Lucia Runs). The procession includes her sisters and brothers also dressed in white, holding lighted candles, and singing of the light and joy of Christmas.


The sisters of the Lucia Bride wear a wreath of tinsel in their hair and a piece tied around their waist, while the boys have tall pointed caps sprinkled with stars. Awakened by the lights and the singing, the parents arise and eat the breakfast served, thus ushering in the Christmas season.


Scandinavian tradition holds that in Värmland, Sweden, a white-clad maiden, wearing a crown of burning candies, brought food to the starving villagers on the shores of Lake Vänern. No one knows how long ago the tradition began, but it was so far back that the festival of Santa Lucia was marked by a notch on the primitive "primstav" (calendar stick), the precursor of the calendar. It later became customary in western Sweden to finish the threshing by Lucia Day so as to begin the cooking and baking for the long Christmas festivities.

 From its beginnings in Värmland, the customs in honor of Santa Lucia have spread throughout Sweden, and more recently to the rest of Scandinavia. Today, the festival is celebrated in schools, hospitals, businesses, and towns; each of which has its own Lucia Bride and festivities to mark the beginning of Christmas.


Since 1956, the Scandinavian Club of Portland (Oregon) has preserved the beauty of this ancient tradition with a festival celebrating the coming of Santa Lucia preceding the Christmas holidays. In 1960, the club collaborated with Lloyd Center, providing a spectacular setting on their ice pavilion for the coronation of the Lucia Bride each year. 


In the tradition of the charitable life of Lucia, the court members visit churches, hospitals, local businesses, and homes for the elderly telling the story of Santa Lucia and bringing the holiday spirit into the hearts of all they meet. These girls are goodwill representatives of all Scandinavian communities in Oregon and southwest Washington, and of the countries of their forebears- Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

Presidents' Day

I must admit I'm not very savy when it comes to some of our history and since today is Presidents' Day, I figured I would brush up on what I don't know and share with you as well....

Presidents’ Day was originally a commemoration of George Washington's birthday, America's first president who was born on February 22, 1732. After Washington's death, our nation began celebrating his birthday as a way to remember his life and how he contributed to establishing America's independence. In 1865, the year after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, America began celebrating Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th and both February 12 and February 22 were observed as seperate federal holidays. Then, in 1971, the two holidays were combined into one and ever since we have honored all past presidents on the third Monday of February. In honor of this day, I figured that I would post a few Presidential fun facts:

* Eight presidents were born British subjects: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams, Jackson, and W. Harrison

* The tallest president was Lincoln at 6'4"; at 5'4", Madison was the shortest.

* The most common religious affiliation among presidents has been Episcopalian, followed by Presbyterian.

* The term "First Lady" was used first in 1849 when President Zachary Taylor called Dolley Madison "First Lady" at her state funeral. It gained popularity in 1877 when used in reference to Lucy Ware Webb Hayes. Most First Ladies, including Jackie Kennedy, are said to have hated the label.

* Kennedy and Taft are the only presidents buried in Arlington National Cemetery