St. Lucia celebration held at New Sweden School

by Staff Aroostook Republican
13 years ago
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Aroostook Republican Photo/Lisa Wilcox
St. Lucia, Johnna Grant, and her attendants, Laura Brigley, Kendra Furber, Tifini Lee and Kristyn Maley, deliver pepperkakor cookies to the students of New Sweden School during the annual St. Lucia celebration at the school on the morning of Dec. 13.

By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer

NEW SWEDEN — New Sweden School held its annual St. Lucia celebration for the students in the morning and for the public, combined with the school’s Christmas program, on the evening of Dec. 13.

“There’s a lot to be said about tradition,” New Sweden Principal Laurie Spooner said about the celebrations. “It’s a true cultural experience for the kids.”

The St. Lucia celebration, sometimes called the Swedish Christmas, is a festival that dates back to the Roman Empire when Christians were being persecuted. After Sweden became Christian, the Festival of Lights, part of a tradition honoring the Italian St. Lucia, moved north.

Early in the morning, the eldest daughter in each family, representing St. Lucia, dresses in a white dress with a red sash and wears an evergreen wreath with seven lighted candles on her head. She carries coffee and buns to each family member in his or her room and sings the traditional song “Santa Lucia.”

As it is celebrated today, the oldest girl in the family brings Lucia buns to her family as they are waking up. Pepperkakor, a spicy ginger cookie, is also eaten, especially during the day and evening celebrations.

Each year the New Sweden school chooses an eighth-grade student to portray St. Lucia. This year’s St. Lucia was Johnna Grant. Grant was joined by several fellow students as her attendants, Starboys, tomtegubbars and pepparkakorgubbars.

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Johnna Grant portrayed St. Lucia, during the St. Lucia celebration held at New Sweden School on the morning of Dec. 13. Grant, center, was joined by her attendants, from left, Kristyn Maley, Kendra Furber, Laura Brigley and Tifani Lee, along with some Starboys, Tomtegubbras, Pepparkakorgub-bars and violinists Rachel Ring and Stephen Boody.
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Johnna Grant, portraying St. Lucia, takes a plate of pepperkakor cookies from New Sweden School Principal Laurie Spooner during the annual St. Lucia celebration held at New Sweden School on the morning of Dec. 13.
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Violinists Rachel Ring and Stephen Boody provided the music for the St. Lucia celebration held the morning of Dec. 13 at New Sweden School.
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At right, Pepparkakorgubbar Anastacia Hearn leads a group of fellow Pepparkakorgubbars and Tomtegubbars through the hallways of New Sweden School during their St. Lucia celebration held on the morning of Dec. 13.
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St. Lucia’s attendants and Starboys performed a ring dance around the Christmas tree at the St. Lucia public celebration held at New Sweden School on the evening of Dec. 13.