1. St Lucy’s day in Sweden

2. Who was Saint Lucy?
 Saint Lucy, or Santa Lucia was a young
girl who lived in about 300 CE.
 She was killed by Roman soldiers about
fifteen hundred years ago for refusing to
give up her religion.
 She brought food in a time of famine,
hundreds of years ago.
 Now she is associated with both light in
the darkness and sight

3. St Lucy photo

4. This day is celebrated in Sweden
 ...but also in other countries, such as Italy
and France.
 It’s celebrated on the shortest and darkest
day of the year (December 13 th)
 In many villages in Sweden, Norway,
Finland, Iceland and Denmark, the Festival
of Santa Lucia is a national holiday.

5. What do they do to celebrate?
AT HOME...
 The oldest girl in the family dresses up in
white robes tied with a red sash and wears
a wreath with candles.
 Sisters wear wreaths and belts of tinsel,
and brothers may wear hats with stars on
them.
 They bring coffee and buns to the family

6. OUTSIDE…
 There are processions in Sweden.
 The girls and boys bring cakes and coffee
to homes, hospitals, factories, and offices.
 They sing songs in choirs.
 Because Saint Lucia was an Italian, her
day is also celebrated in Italy. There
people honor her day with bonfires and
parades

7. Some photographs