Lucia Morning

Saint Lucia day first caught my attention when I was a little girl and my aunt gave me a set of American Girl paper dolls. One of the girls came with a Saint Lucia dress and crown. Later I got the books (let me just say that American Girl was much different in the early 1990s and it was still owned by the Pleasant Company) and my interest in the Swedish tradition of Lucia morning continued. My mother and I saved those books for my children so it was with great excitement that I brought Kristen's Surprise in preparation for Saint Lucia day.

The book that turned out to be a hit however was Lucia Morning in Sweden. Just right for A's age and beautifully illustrated. We even used the recipe for Lucia buns from the back and attempted to learn the song. I was so excited to have real saffron for this recipe (thanks Mom!) however I really underestimated how much they would rise. They were huge! However a mandarin orange and a half of one of the buns made a lovely breakfast.

As we chose to celebrate Saint Lucia day as a cultural holiday, we decided to read books about how Swedish families honor the day and then replicate the experience in our home. Weeks before, I made a felt crown for A. I considered making F a little star boy hat but I knew he would pull it off and quickly outgrow it. I had a little white gown with red sash for A but when I woke her early on Lucia morning she was not interested in wearing it. She chose a different dress but still wanted her crown. In A's own words, Lucia "brings the light when you are in the dark" so we put a few candles on her tray and brought the light (and breakfast) to Daddy and F, who were still in the dark. We then lit a few more candles and shared the meal together (even F loved the saffron buns). What a lovely December celebration for our family.