St. Lucy’s Day
Feast of Saint Lucy
The Elected Lucy and Her Maidens Preside over a Candlelit Feast
About St. Lucy’s Day
St. Lucy’s Day celebrates the life and virtues of Saint Lucy, the bringer of light and a symbol of hope in the darkness. Observed in Scandinavia and parts of Italy, the day’s customs are aglow with charm. A girl is chosen to represent St. Lucy, often through an election among her peers. Wearing a white robe with a red sash and a crown of candles (more on that below), she leads a procession of maidens who carry candles and sing traditional songs. The ceremony culminates in a candlelit feast featuring saffron buns (lussekatter), coffee, and other seasonal treats. Today, we honor St. Lucy by nominating someone in our lives who embodies her virtues of kindness and courage, and celebrating them with small tokens or by recreating elements of a traditional St. Lucy feast.
Ways to observe
(A) Low effort
Light a candle for someone who has brightened your life this year, and share a kind word with them.
(B) Recommended
Nominate someone in your life who embodies St. Lucy’s virtues and honor them with a small gift or heartfelt message. Prepare lussekatter or another festive treat to share as a gesture of appreciation.
(C) High effort
Host a full St. Lucy’s Day celebration. Elect a ‘Lucy’ in your household or friend group, prepare saffron buns and mulled wine, and organize a candlelit procession with hymns like Santa Lucia. Finish the evening with a feast featuring Scandinavian specialties.
Inspiration
Do yourself a favor: go look up black-and-white photos of old St. Lucy’s Day celebrations. Specifically, the ones where young girls wear actual crowns of lit candles on their heads. Crowns of lit candles. The look is luminous. The risk, considerable. Unless you have Scandinavian fire codes on your side, perhaps light your crown metaphorically. Or just use LEDs and sleep easy. Everything about this holiday is charming, from the flickering procession to the saffron-scented buns. Saint Lucy (or Santa Lucia) lived in 3rd-century Sicily, where she dedicated her life to God and gave her dowry to the poor. She was martyred in 304 CE during the Diocletianic Persecution and became one of the earliest Christian saints. Her name, derived from the Latin lux (light), and the legends of her bringing food to persecuted Christians while wearing a candlelit wreath, made her an enduring symbol of hope. Her feast is celebrated on December 13—once the date of the winter solstice before the calendar shift—making her especially beloved in Scandinavia, where light is at a premium in December.
Adornments
Watch
Millions (2004)
In the days before Christmas, a devout young boy discovers a bag of stolen money and sets out to give it to the poor. Guided by visions of saints, he’s torn between doing good and worldly temptation.
Listen
Nu tändas tusen juleljus (Traditional Swedish Carol)
An early Christmas hymn whose title means “Now are lit a thousand Christmas candles.” Once one of Sweden’s most beloved church and home songs, it celebrates bringing light and peace into winter’s darkness.
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (Traditional French Carol)
A 17th-century carol from Provence traditionally sung as children carry candles to midnight Mass. The lyrics tell of two village girls who discover the newborn Jesus and run to spread the news by torchlight.
Read
Lucia, Child of Light by Florence Ekstrand
A compact guide to the history and customs of Saint Lucy’s Day in Sweden. It blends the legend of St. Lucy with practical tips, recipes, and cultural insights for celebrating the Lucia festival.
The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
An Advent novel structured like a magical calendar: each day of December, young Joachim opens a new chapter of a story about a girl traveling back through time to the very first Christmas. It’s a story-within-a-story that intertwines history and faith as it unfolds.
Eat
Lussekatter (St. Lucy’s Saffron Buns)
Bright golden S-shaped buns flavored with precious saffron, traditionally baked for Saint Lucia’s Day on December 13. Each bun is shaped like a curled cat, complete with two raisin “eyes.”