The Kirsten Project | Saint Lucia through the Ages

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Kirstenā€™s holiday story Kirstenā€™s Surprise centers around her familyā€™s tradition of celebrating Saint Luciaā€™s Day - a solstice celebration of light honoring Santka Lucia. The holiday took hold during Swedenā€™s Catholic period somewhere between 1000-1500 and is still honored today with parades and family celebrations on December 13th. If youā€™re thinking, wait! the winter solstice is on December 21st! (my birthday!), youā€™re right. There was a change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar for Sweden (and the US/UK) in the mid 18th century, which essentially pushed the calendar forward to account for leap days.

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In Sweden, the eldest daughter in each family wakes before dawn and brings a breakfast tray to her family members in the dark, wearing a white (night) gown, red sash at the waist and a crown made of lingonberries and branches with candles glowing. Kirstenā€™s family celebrated St. Luciaā€™s day as the start of the Christmas season but her Swedish American cousins have since lost the custom. After a snowy all night adventure to town with her papa to retrieve the familyā€™s trunks and Swedish heirlooms, Kirsten is able to play the part of St. Lucia on December 13th.

For my Saint Lucia costume Iā€™m taking my cues from the artwork in Kirstenā€™s Surprise, illustrated by RenĆ©e Graef but looking through historical photos and illustrations made me so excited for my familyā€™s own St. Luciaā€™s Day breakfast! Click on any image to view larger!