Welcome to Lucia Park

Lucia, a symbol of light amid darkness in Sweden, is associated with a story that has many versions. She was born in southern Italy in the third century A.D. and, after seeing her mother miraculously healed, is said to have vowed never to marry and to give her dowry to the poor. She refused to marry the man her family had chosen, and some say he denounced her for her faith and was responsible for her death. She died a martyr in 303 A.D. How Lucia became such an important part of Swedish culture is uncertain, though one legend popular among Swedish Americans tells of a woman dressed in white, wearing a wreath crowned with lighted candles, who crossed Lake Vänern by boat to bring food to the starving people of Värmland during a famine. December 13th remains one of the high points of the season in Sweden, when candles are lit against the darkness. Early that morning, the oldest daughter in a family has the privilege of being Lucia, wearing a long white gown sashed in red with a wreath of lingonberry leaves in her hair, while her sisters wear white gowns with tinsel and the boys wear tall pointed hats with stars as Starboys associated with the wise men. The children awaken their parents and offer coffee, saffron-flavored buns called Lussekatter, and ginger snaps called pepparkakor, and Lucia programs are held in schools, businesses, and public gatherings.

Lindsborg, Kansas · United States