There was Lucia, or Luccia, or Lucy in Nordic countries long before the Italian saint. The tradition of the Lussi bringing back the sunlight marked Jul, or Yule, the shortest day of the year. Along with returning the light, the Lussi also prowled the dark, carrying away naughty children who ventured out on Jul night. Children were safe if they went about with torches, though. This lead to the tradition of, 鈥淪tar Boys,鈥 accompanying Lucia carrying lights or torches. When the Nordic peoples adopted Christianity, the priests overlay the existing practices of the Lussi procession and the return of the light with the similar-sounding Lucia, or Lucy. There was history and religions in the North long before the Christians ventured toward the Norse realms.
As a proud Luccia descended from Norwegians, the full heritage of my namesake matters as does the accurate history of St. Lucia鈥檚 Day.
There was Lucia, or Luccia, or Lucy in Nordic countries long before the Italian saint. The tradition of the Lussi bringing back the sunlight marked Jul, or Yule, the shortest day of the year. Along with returning the light, the Lussi also prowled the dark, carrying away naughty children who ventured out on Jul night. Children were safe if they went about with torches, though. This lead to the tradition of, 鈥淪tar Boys,鈥 accompanying Lucia carrying lights or torches. When the Nordic peoples adopted Christianity, the priests overlay the existing practices of the Lussi procession and the return of the light with the similar-sounding Lucia, or Lucy. There was history and religions in the North long before the Christians ventured toward the Norse realms.
As a proud Luccia descended from Norwegians, the full heritage of my namesake matters as does the accurate history of St. Lucia鈥檚 Day.