St. Lucy |Feast Day December 13
A name that means “light,” St. Lucy (283 – 304) is the patron saint of those blind or suffering with eye trouble. Not much is known about her life, except that she was determined to remain a virgin and thus refused marriage. History tells the story of a frustrated suitor who eventually accused St. Lucy of being a Christian (at crime at the time), and she was executed in Syracuse, Sicily, in the year 304.
Today, we celebrate a number of traditions that incorporate symbolic meaning of St. Lucy as the “bearer” of light in the darkness of winter. This is particularly seen in Scandinavian countries, with their long dark winters. There, a young girl dressed in a white dress and a red sash (as the symbol of martyrdom) carries palms and wears a crown or wreath of candles on her head. In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, girls dressed as Lucy carry rolls and cookies in procession as songs are sung.