“St. Lucia festival opens Yule season at Dorchester” from the December 17, 1968 Door County Advocate
ST. LUCIA DAY opens the Swedish Christmas celebration and the festival was repeated for residents at the Dorchester Friday. From left are Mrs. Pat Conlon, Al Johnson, Heidi and Pamela Gustafson and Annika Johnson. —Advocate
St. Lucia festival opens Yule season at Dorchester
St. Lucia’s Day (Dec. 13) is celebrated in Sweden as the first day of the Christmas season, and is a custom which has carried over to this country. The Al Johnson family at Sister Bay observes the custom and last Friday afternoon the Johnson children and several others brought this delightful ceremony to residents of the Dorchester.
St. Lucia’s role is usually played by the oldest daughter in the family. She is dressed in a long white robe with a red satin sash around her waist and wears a crown of lingonberry leaves and lighted white candles.
Early in the morning on St. Lucia’s Day she wakens the family and serves them coffee, saffron buns and cookies, all the while singing the old song “Santa Lucia.”
The Festival of Lights is a day of great celebration and the Christmas season opens with a joyous start.
Mrs. Pat Conlon, herself a native of Sweden, played the part of St. Lucia in Friday’s presentation at the Dorchester and wore the traditional wreath of candles in her hair. Some of the older women there were a bit afraid her hair would catch on fire, but she has been taking this part for several years and knew just how to carry her head to avoid tilting the candles and dripping hot wax.
Annika Johnson, Heidi and Pamela Gustafson joined Mrs. Conlon, wearing the traditional costume of white but carrying a lighted white candle in their hands, just a bit safer for the younger girls. Lars and Rolf Johnson also joined in and the boys wore a high white pointed hat and white outfits, carrying candles.
After they had marched around the recreation room at the Dorchester several times singing Santa Lucia they all served coffee, saffron buns and cookies to all the Dorchester residents. The party was much enjoyed and several of them were of Swedish ancestry and remembered the festival from their youth.
The Johnson children are those of Mr. and Mrs. Al Johnson, and the Warren Gustafsons are the parents of Heidi and Pamela, all of Sister Bay.
ROLF JOHNSON passed Swedish cookies to Mrs. Bertha Dettmann at the St. Lucia Day festival Friday at the Dorchester. —Advocate
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
[The Santa Lucia song: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/sankta-lucia-santa-lucia.html ]
Christmas-related articles
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