Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Argyle, Minn., will host the 24th annual Santa Lucia Festival at 2 p.m. Dec. 11 featuring a Swedish reading of the Christmas story and a candle-crowned Queen Lucia and her attendants.
Sponsored by the Agassiz Swedish Heritage Society, the Festival of Lights program will be followed by a reception with Swedish goodies provided by ASHS members and coffee made by the host church women, a news release said.
The Lucia tradition can be traced to Saint Lucia of Syracuse, Sicily, who was martyred for her Christian beliefs in 304 A.D. This tradition moved to early Sweden when a white-clad Lucia was said to bring food during a famine.
The name Lucia comes from the Latin word for light, and the annual honoring of Saint Lucia came to be called the Festival of Lights. Dec. 13 is the longest night of the year on the old Swedish calendar, so Lucia's arrival marks the coming of longer days. In Sweden, Lucia Day celebrates the beginning of the Christmas season.
At the festival, the young woman representing Santa Lucia will be dressed in a white gown with a read sash and wear a lighted crown of candles on her head. Her attendants, also girls from the church congregation, will wear white gowns and carry candles. The girls will sing a Christmas carol and the audience will sing the traditional Santa Lucia song. Star boys will light the candles and usher the girls, the news release said.
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Rev. Warren Swanson of Our Savior's Lutheran Church will welcome the attendees, and Stanley DeMeyere of Argyle, present of the Agassiz Swedish Heritage Society, and his wife, Lois DeMeyere, who have arranged the program, will give a greeting, as well.
Eunice Waterworth of Newfolden, Minn., wearing traditional Swedish attire, will greet people and read the Santa Lucia story, with special music by Ann Woinarowicz, Stephen, Minn.
Lyndon Johnson of Hallock, Minn., will read the Christmas story from the gospel of Luke in Swedish and Swanson will read it in English. The festival and reception are open to the public.
