"Hallow the vespers and December of our life, O Martyred Lucy: Console our solstice with your findly day." -Thomas Merton
Some feasts don't travel well. The Feast of St. Lucy is all about light in the darkness, warmth in the cold, and the pleasure of not getting out of bed on a freezing winter morning.
Lucy died during the fourth-century Dioletia persecutions. She was probably beheaded, and her body was finally brought to rest in what is now Santa Lucia Church in Venice. Her name means "light" in Latin, from the noun lux, which in its genitive form is lucius, meaning "of light". Because she is St. Light, she is the patron of the eyes. People who suffer blindness and diseases of the eye ask her to intercede for them. When there were lamplighters, she was their patron saint. In many cities where lamplighters went about their work in the early darkness of her feast day, December 13, there were ceremonies in Lucy's honor.
In the middle ages, before the liturgical calendar was reformed, St. Lucy's day fell on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. "Lucy fires" burned outdoors and "Lucy Candles" were lit within. The farther north the Church went, the brigther the celebration for this saint. Her day marked the begining of more sunlight, longer days, and the approach of spring and summer. It was dark, indeed, and cold. It would remian cold for some time, but the night would not grow longer, but shorter, and the darkness would gradually recede.
If you have a fire pit, or outdoor barbecue, consider kindling a "Lucy fire" and inviting friends and neighbors to bask in its light and warmth on this feast day. If you don't have access to an outdoor area, light a Lucy candle (or several) indoors and rejoice in the coming of the Light of the world.
Breakfast in Bed
St. Lucy's Day, in its Scandinavian, and most popular, form, is a simple affair. According to tradition, the eldest daugther rises in the dark, dresses in a white robe, and places an evergreen wreath adorned with lit candlesin her hair. She prepares a tray with steaming coffee and warm pastries and carries it from room to room, awakening sleepers with the good news of breakfast in bed.
Some families will sing a song, such as "The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns," to annouce the day. Once everyone else is served, the servers crawl into the largest empty bed and have thier own treats.
"Happy feast of St. Lucia! Every year, Ana Lucia wakes up before dawn, puts on her candle crown and lights a candle. Then, I help her make a hot drink (this year it was atole from yesterday's feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe) and put pastries on a tray. We then sing the Santa Lucía song to wake everyone up with breakfast in bed. Finally, the girls sit before the dining room glass doors to watch the sunrise break the darkness."
from "the Catholic Catalouge" by Melissa Musick & Anna Keating. Story and Pictures with permission from Carolina Villanueva, you can follow her catholic blog at www.thebeautyofthehours.com/