SAINT LUCY (SANTA LUCIA)
Santa Lucia was born to noble,
Christian parents in Syracuse, Italy. As a young girl, she took a secret vow to
consecrate her virginity to Christ. As a teenager, Lucia's mother tried to
arrange a marriage for her with a pagan. Lucia apparently knew that her mother
would not be convinced by a young girl's vow so she devised a plan to convince
her mother that Christ was a much more powerful partner for life. Through
prayers at the tomb of Saint Agatha, her mother's long illness was miraculously
cured. Joyful at her cure, Lucia's mother agreed to bestow Lucia's fortune to
the poor. Lucia's pagan suitor was incensed and accused Lucia, before a judge,
of being a Christian. When Lucia refused to relinquish her faith, the judge
ordered her to a brothel; however, guards who attempted to drag her to the house
of sin were unable to budge Lucia. Similarly an attempt to burn Lucia to death
failed. She was ultimately stabbed in the throat with a sword, died.
The date of Lucy's martyrdom was December 13, 304.
ASSOCIATED WITH LIGHT
Santa Lucia is the patroness of
light and has been honored since the sixth century for her martyrdom. Her
connection to light and/or eyesight is based on several
legends. One is associated to the timing of her feast day celebration.
Originally celebrated on December 13th, the shortest day of the year according
to the Julian calendar, the feast in her honor was forever associated with the
lengthing days and sunlight. The change to the Gregorian calendar
altered the date to December 21st, but did not change Lucia's feast day
celebration and its symbolism.
Lucia's connection to
light can also be traced to other legends. It appears that her name, which
means lucid or "light," was invoked by those who suffered from eye trouble or
blindness. Another legend holds that Lucia's eyes were put out by a tyrannical
government official or jilted boyfriend. Another declared that Lucia tore them out herself to discourage
her pagan suitor. In every story, however, the Lord restored her eyes.
CELEBRATIONS
Santa Lucia's Day, December 13th, is celebrated in a number
of ways by several European nations. In Sweden, the oldest (or youngest)
daughter in each household traditionally carries a tray of coffee and
traditional pastries, called lussekatter (Lucy cats), to her parents before they
arise in the morning. She wears a white gown, scarlet sash, and a crown of
greens with four, seven, or nine lighted candles. Her brothers, wearing white
shirts and tall, cone-shaped hats decorated with stars, and her sisters, all in
white and carrying lighted candles, follow her. In many towns, a "Santa
Lucia" is chosen to carry coffee and buns to each house. She and her
followers, each bearing a lighted candle, sing carols as they traverse the dark
streets while St. Steven, represented by a man on horseback, leads the way. The
procession is done in memory of Santa Lucia's traverse through dark woods to
bring bread and other food to the poor.
In Switzerland, Santa Lucia strolls around the village
with Father Christmas, giving gifts to the girls while he gives gifts to the boys.
In Venice, people celebrate the Feast of Santa Lucia by enjoying fried cheese. Italians
eat small cakes or biscotti shaped like eyes, light huge bonfires, and conduct
evening candlelight processions, all in honor of Santa Lucia. Sicilians pay
tribute to a miracle performed by Santa Lucia during a famine in 1582. At that time,
she brought a flotilla of grain-bearing ships to starving Sicily, whose citizens
cooked and ate the wheat without taking time to grind it into flour. Thus, on
Santa Lucia Day, Sicilians don't eat anything made with wheat flour. Instead they
eat cooked wheat called cuccia.
PRAYER TO SANTA LUCIA
Santa Lucia, your beautiful name signifies light. By the light of faith which God
bestowed upon you, increase and preserve this light in my soul so that I may avoid
evil, be zealous in the performance of good works, and abhor nothing so much as
the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin. By your intercession with God,
obtain for me perfect vision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them for God's
greater honor and glory and the salvation of all men. Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr,
hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. Amen.
TRADITION IN BASELGA
di PINE`-TRESSILLA
Santa Lucia is
the patron saint of Tressilla and an annual celebrations is conducted in her
honor on December 13th. The celebration includes a morning Mass,
followed by a small rincaldo for those present. In the early afternoon,
school children gather in the square in front of the elementary school and
march in a processional behind a cart and donkey with Saint Lucia,
through the streets of Baselga and Tressilla. In the evening
residents, residents gather for dinner and celebration. The yearly
festivities are chronicled at
www.tressilla.com.
