HAPPY ST. LUCIA DAY!

Icon from the hand of Luke Dingman

December 13th commemorates St. Lucia Day for Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran Christians. (In England, she is called "St. Lucy".)

My daughter was only three years old when she participated in the first St. Lucia Procession we ever attempted at our church.  Now, 20 years later, she watches and sings with the adults as the young girls process down the aisle, following the oldest girl, who represents Lucia and is wearing a "crown" of candles.  I'm sure each girl, dressed in a white gown with red sash - symbolizing the saint's commitment to purity and her martyrdom - anticipates the year she will finally wear the traditional "Lucia Crown" (with battery-operated candles, as opposed to open flames!)

HER HISTORY
Lucia was a Christian, living in Sicily during the fourth century. Her parents had arranged for her to wed, against her will.  Lucia vowed to remain a virgin, instead of marrying a pagan, and gave her dowry to the poor.  Her fiancee denounced her and reported her to the authorities. Since Christianity was against the law at that time in the Roman Empire, Lucia was put to death.

HER CELEBRATION
During the Middle Ages, Swedes "adopted" this Italian saint. The name Lucia itself means "light", which the people of Sweden don't see a lot of during the winter. December 13th was the longest night of the year (Winter Solstice under the old Julian Calendar) so, in the darkness of Sweden, this holy-day also celebrated the fact that the days would begin to grow longer.

The traditional "St. Lucia Procession" originated in Sweden, and is practiced in homes, churches, and communities there.  In Norway, children bring the procession to nursing homes and hospitals, serving lussekatt buns to the elderly. Scandinavian immigrants have brought the celebration to the U.S. - look for Swedish Christmas Fairs and Lutheran churches in your community that might host processions during December (that's how I saw my first St. Lucia Procession!)

Take a minute or so to watch this beautiful traditional Swedish Lucia Procession...



PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT ST. LUCIA:


Lucia Saint of Light, by Katherine Bolger Hyde, illustrations by Daria Fisher (ages 6 and up).  Do you have a daughter who is interested in knowing why girls wear white dresses, balance a crown of candles on their heads, and carry a platter of saffron buns on St. Lucia Day?  Katherine Bolger Hyde does a wonderful job of explaining these customs, in this beautiful book with two parallel stories - about a modern-day girl named Lucy, and a 4th-Century Saint named Lucia.  The tales are interwoven as Lucy prepares to celebrate her "nameday" and her mother explains to her the origins of the story of St. Lucia and the background behind the traditions of her celebration and her association with Sweden.  At the end of the book, you'll find the "Santa Lucia" song (with words and music), her icon, verses from her Feastday Aposticha, and a recipe. (She also offers some great links/resources.)


Lucia Morning in Sweden by Ewa Jydaker, illustrated by Carina Stalhberg. (ages 5-10)  A story about three children as they prepare for their St. Lucia Day celebration.  It includes the Lucia song, recipes for ginger snaps and saffron buns, a summary of the Lucia legend, and two patterns for the Lucia gowns.  (You'll have to search for this cute book, which is currently out of print.)


                    Lucia, Child of Light:  The History and Traditions of Sweden's Lucia Celebration, by Florence Ekstrand. (Also currently out of print, but probably available at your local library.)  This book introduced us to Saint Lucia when my daughter was young.  It traces the history of St. Lucia and includes a recipe and the Lucia song in both English and Swedish.  (ages 6 and up)

Kirsten's Surprise:  A Christmas Story, by Janet Beeler Shaw. (ages 9-12) From the AMERICAN GIRL series:  a short story about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, who has moved with her family to the Minnesota frontier in 1854. With Christmas approaching, Kirsten is excited about introducing her cousins to the Saint Lucia celebration. The day before Saint Lucia Day, Kirsten's father decides to go get the family's trunks out of storage (where Kirsten's dress is being stored) and Kirsten is just dying to go with him. However, as a Minnesota winter storm descends, she finds that her help is more needed then she could have imagined.

THE UNIVERSAL STORIES OF SWEDISH AUTHOR, ASTRID LINDGREN

illustrated by Louis S. Glanzman

One of my all-time favorite chapter books as a young girl, had to be PIPPI LONGSTOCKING (published in 1945).  Have you ever met her?  She is the strongest girl in the world, has bright red hair done up in braids that stick straight out on each side, wears odd stockings with men's shoes, and lives all alone in a wacky house ("Villa Villekulla") with her horse and a monkey named "Mr. Nilsson".  She is completely independent and does things in her own, unique way:  she sleeps with her feet on her pillow and her head under the covers, she makes cookies on the floor, and takes on burglars single-handedly.   Her mother died when she was a baby, and her father was lost at sea.  She befriends her neighbors, Annika and Tommy, and they share many adventures with her.  (PIPPI GOES ON BOARD (1946); PIPPI IN THE SOUTH SEAS (1948).   (Please don't waste your time on any of the adapted films - some things are just better left to the imagination!)

Illustration by Nancy Seligohn

Another series of books written by Astrid Lindgren is THE CHILDREN OF NOISY VILLAGE.  Think of Laura Ingalls Wilder's LITTLE HOUSE books, only set in Sweden.  Charming stories of a simpler time.  These delightful tales include CHRISTMAS IN NOISY VILLAGE and HAPPY TIMES IN NOISY VILLAGE, with quaint illustrations by Ilon Wikland.  There are three Swedish farm houses that make up "Noisy Village", named so because of how many children inhabit these homes!.  The story is told in first person by 9 year-old Lisa about the mischievous adventures of the children.  All the adventures are innocent and full of fun, and will be enjoyed by boys and girls alike.

A third set of books by Astrid Lindgren that I'd like to mention is THE TOMTEN and its companion story, THE TOMTEN AND THE FOX.  These two gorgeously illustrated picture books were favorites of my youngest son.  The setting is a quiet farmstead, deep in the forest:  "Here is a lonely old farm, where everyone is sleeping.  All but one..." a  little dwarf-like creature (think of a gnome*) from Swedish folklore, called a "Tomten" who guards the farm.  No one has ever seen him, but sometimes his little footprints are visible in the snow.  He checks on all the barnyard animals and talks to them in Tomten language (a silent little language they can understand).  He tiptoes to the house and peeks in on the sleeping children before going back to his cozy corner of the hayloft, where he dreams of the coming summer.

The second story is much the same with it's moonlit scenes - as the Tomten sees a fox, Reynard, who is prowling around the hen house.  He shares his porridge with the hungry fox and the chickens are kept safe... for another night.  The restful watercolor illustrations were done by Harald Wiberg.

* THE GNOME CRAFT BOOK The Gnome Craft Book includes instructions for making Astrid Lindgren’s classic gnome, the Tomten. 

"Childhood is not age, but a state of mind".  Astrid Lindgren

A SWEDISH ILLUSTRATOR: FROM DISNEY TO GOLDEN BOOKS

Being half Swedish myself, it's not a surprise that my parents took me to the Swedish Art Institute, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when I was young.  But it was a surprise to see an exhibit about an illustrator of one of my favorite childhood books, THE POKY LITTLE PUPPY.  The illustrator was Gustaf Tenggren, a Swedish immigrant to the United States who began his career with Disney studios, working on the film SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS.  He also contributed to BAMBI, THE UGLY DUCKLING, HIAWATHA, AND FANTASIA.  But his greatest influence is seen in PINOCCHIO, where his contributions include the design and detail of the backgrounds and overall look of the movie.

He left Disney in 1939 to illustrate books for children.  He worked for The Golden Press during the '40's and '50's and illustrated the world's most printed book ever, written by Janette Sebring Lowry:  which one?  Yes! THE POKY LITTLE PUPPY (it has sold nearly 50 million copies since 1942)!!  He did several others that I also read and loved as a child:  THE SAGGY BAGGY ELEPHANT, THE TAWNY SCRAWNY LION, THUMBELINA, SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED, and many more that you can see if you CLICK HERE.

Anyone who has read the POKY LITTLE PUPPY will smile at the first sentence:  "Five little puppies dug a hole in the fence and went for a walk in the wide, wide, world."  Four of the puppies return, except Poky, who, instead of following his siblings home, lags behind to see the creatures that are on the hill - which Tenggren draws in beautiful detail:  flowers, a brown hop-toad, a big black spider.  "Now where in the world is that Poky Little Puppy?"

At first, his mother doesn't realize he hasn't come home, so he doesn't receive the punishment that his siblings do.  But in the end, after several escapes, fate catches up to him, and the Poky Little Puppy is sent to bed with no strawberry shortcake.

"No desserts ever unless puppies never dig holes under this fence again!"