Saint Lucia's Day is a Swedish traditional holiday.On December 13th,one of the shortest,darkest days in the long and cold winter,Sweden celebrates the holiday,in honor of Saint Lucia,the Queen of Lights.
On the day,girls in Sweden dress up as Santa Lucia wearing a white dress and a crown of candles. Boys carry a candle and wear a kind of white pyjama. They wear hats that are pointy with golden stars on them.
In Sweden people do not wear candles anymore because before girls caught their hair on fire very often. Today they use modern candles with batteries in them.
After lunch most schools close on Santa Lucia day around noon. It is a national holiday of Sweden.In big cities in Sweden there are beauty contests where some women dress up as Santa Lucia and the judges and the people vote for the Santa Lucia of the year.There are also special foods for Lucia's Day like spicy gingerbread biscuits.In schools people sing Santa Lucia's song.
Saint Lucia was a saint because of her kindness and her love. She was an Italian Christian who lived in Sicily in the 4th century. Some people believe she once visited Sweden.
The way she became a saint was that a man loved her but Lucia didn't like him. Lucia's mother asked her to marry the man but she refused,so the man said he would burn her.But Lucia prayed to God to have the power to survive the fire. Because of her kindness her wish was granted. The man then got a sword and stuck it into Lucia's throat.
There is also another story for her being a saint which goes like this.
关于这个故事还有另一个版本的类似传说——
Saint Lucia was a very kind person and a man loved her very much but she didn't like him. The thing the man loved most about Saint Lucia was her eyes. Then she gave him her eyes. But a miracle happened,she grew back her eyes and this time they were even more beautiful than ever. The man asked for those eyes but she refused,so the man killed her with a knife into her heart.
The night goes with weighty step round yard and round earth. The sun's departure leaves the woods brooding. There in our dark house,appears with lighted candles Saint Lucia,Saint Lucia.
The night goes great and mute. Now one hears its wings in every silent room murmuring as if from wings. Look at our threshold. There she stands white-clad with lights in her hair Saint Lucia,Saint Lucia.
The darkness shall soon depart from the earth's valleys thus she speaks a wonderful word to us.The day shall rise anew from the rosy sky. Saint Lucia,Saint Lucia.