Lucy light!
Lucy light!
Shortest day and longest night
St. Lucy (Lucia) feast day brings many different types of celebrations in various countries. Her feast is also tied in with the celebration of light and winter, as her name means light and her feast day originally coincided with the winter solstice, which marked the shortest day of the year.
DIRECTIONS
Croatia: It is a Croatian custom to plant the Christmas wheat on the feast of St. Lucy. Plant the seeds into a small dish of soil, and place the dish in a moderately warm room, keeping it watered. By Christmas Eve the fresh shoots of wheat should be about 8 inches of a soft green. The wheat then can be placed next to the manger or crib scene as a gift to Jesus and a reminder to us of the Eucharist which feeds our souls and also as the staff of life which nourishes all of mankind. It can also be used a table decoration, with a candle placed in the center.
Italy: Santa Lucia is celebrated all over Italy. Sicilians still commemorate Santa Lucia's intervention during a severe famine in 1582. Miraculously, ships filled with grain appeared in the harbor on December 13. The people were so hungry that they didn't take the time to grind the grain into flour but boiled the grains immediately. Sicilians refuse to eat anything made of wheat flour for this day, which means forgoing pasta and bread. Instead they eat a most popular dish called cuccia which is made with boiled whole wheat berries, ricotta and sugar.
In Lombardy and Veneto, goose is eaten on this day, and it is Santa Lucia who brings the presents to children, not Father Christmas or Befana. She travels on a donkey on the eve of December 13, and children leave bowls of milk and carrots and hay to attract the hungry donkey and make sure Santa Lucia stops at their house.
Santa Lucia is most revered in Udine, Venice, where her bones lie buried. Frico, or Fried Cheese Wedges is a favorite food of this day. This another day that children receive gifts, and the children sing for this feast:
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia Fill my stocking with candies If my mother won't do it My stocking will stay empty But with father's money Saint Lucia will prevail.
Sweden: This is a special feast day in Sweden, called Luciadagen. It is a time-honored tradition to have the oldest girl in the family wearing a white dress and crimson sash and stockings. She has a wreath crown with white lighted candles. At dawn she wakes up members of the family with steaming coffee and Lussekatter (saffron buns), or some other favorite sweet rolls or bread.
Wearing lighted candles just seems to be an invitation to disaster, so substitute lighted candles and wreath with an electric battery operated wreath or make a bread in the shape of a ring and place candles in it.
This is a special feast day in Sweden, the beginning of Christmas celebrations, and the recipes are Swedish in origin.
It is the Swedish tradition to have the oldest girl wearing a white dress and crimson sash and stockings. She has a wreath crown with white lighted candles. At dawn she wakes up members of the family with coffee and Lussekakes, or some other favorite sweet rolls or bread.
Wearing lighted candles just seems to be an invitation to disaster, so substitute lighted candles and wreath with an electric battery operated wreath or make a bread in the shape of a ring and place candles in it.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
• pinch powdered saffron
• 1/2 cup warm milk (105-115 degrees)
• 2-2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• egg
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tbsp. chopped candied citron
• 3 tbsp. chopped almonds
• 1/2 tbsp. grated lemon peel
• green and red candied cherries
Details
Prep Time: 2 1/2 hours
Difficulty: ★★★☆
Cost: ★★★☆
For Ages: 15+
Origin: Sweden
DIRECTIONS
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes. Stir saffron into warm milk.
Combine 2 cups flour, saffron milk, sugar, salt, egg, and butter in mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Stir in citron, almonds and lemon peel. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth — about 10 minutes.
Place in greased bowl, turning to coat top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double — about 1 hour. Punch down dough. Cut off 1/3 of dough for top braid and set aside. Divide remaining dough into thirds and roll each part into 24-inch rope. Braid and shape into circle. Pinch ends together to seal. Place on greased backing sheet.
Divide reserved dough into thirds and roll each until 15 inches long. Braid and shape into circle. Pinch ends together to seal. Place on another greased baking sheet. Cover; let rise in warm place until double — about 45 minutes. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven 25 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack. When cool, make holes for 6 candles in small braid.
Make icing. Mix in a few more drops of water if too stiff. Make small braid on large braid. Drizzle icing on braid. Decorate with cherries. Insert candles.
Recipe Source: Festive Bread Book, The by Kathy Cutler, Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1982
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