Blog Post
In Waldorf schools why is Santa Lucia celebrated?
Denis Fitts • Dec 13, 2020
Santa Lucia
What is Santa Lucia?
At many Waldorf schools all over the world we celebrate the festival of Saint Lucia on December 13. This Scandinavian festival of light brightens the dark days of midwinter and celebrates the life of Saint Lucia, an Italian saint known for her kindness and love. Saint Lucy or Lucia, whose name comes from the Latin word “lux” meaning light, wears a crown of candles on her head and brings sweet buns flavored with cardamom and saffron on this day.
The observance commemorates Lucia of Syracuse, an early-4th-century martyr who, according to legend, brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs. She wore a candle-lit wreath on her head to light her way, leaving her hands free to carry as much food as possible. Her feast day, which coincided with the shortest day of the year in the old Julian calendar, is widely celebrated as a festival of light. In Scandinavian countries, the oldest girl in the family wakes up before dawn and leads her siblings to deliver coffee and buns to their parents’ bedside. Schools often have their own Saint Lucia, and some towns and villages also choose a girl to play Saint Lucia in a procession where carols are sung.
#santalucia #liveoakwaldorfschool #waldorflife #waldorfeducation #celebratingthelight #celebratingthelightwithin #celebratingtheseasons #waldorffestivals
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