By Theron Larkins
Special to the Aroostook Republican
NEW SWEDEN, Maine — New Sweden School held its annual St. Lucia Celebration this past Friday, while also holding a Swedish meatball supper and a Christmas concert put on by teachers and students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
The night began with the Swedish meatball supper at 5 p.m. The Caribou Masonic Lodge donated food items and members helped serve the meal as part of their Community Betterment Program. Later, the students took to the stage to perform their Christmas concert. The night included a number of acts, both singing songs and playing an array of instruments from accordions to ukuleles.
Special additions to the celebration were local businesses honored for their generous donations to the New Sweden School. In honor of the day, which has become synonymous with food, Nikki Nelson from Lord’s Pantry was honored for their donation made to the school’s food drive. Arlene Plourde, representing the New Sweden Extension, was recognized for their contribution to the new playground at the New Sweden School.
The annual celebration of the Italian St. Lucia has come to be an important tradition for members of the New Sweden community. It marks the beginning of the Christmas season for the Swedish, while also having religious significance for Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Orthodox churches.
“Participating in St. Lucia annually connects our community to our Swedish culture” said New Sweden Principal Laurie Spooner. “We bring the community together on the darkest days of the year for a meaningful cultural celebration.”
St. Lucia was a Christian martyr who died during the latest and most severe part of the Christian persecution in the Roman Empire in 304. When Christianity eventually spread to Sweden the celebration became an important tradition.
St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated in the West on December 13th and is thought of as a “festival of light.” In countries like Sweden, St. Lucia’s Feast Day was held on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. With the long dark winters in the Scandanavian countries it became tradition for the youngest daughter in each family to wear a white dress with a red sash, as the symbol for martyrdom, and carry rolls and cookies in procession.
This Swedish family tradition is recreated every year at the St. Lucia’s Day Celebration in New Sweden, with the school selecting a new eighth-grader each year to play as St. Lucia.
“It’s really become a special tradition because each year every eighth-grade girl wants to be St. Lucia,” said Principal Spooner. “Society is changing and fewer people are involved in community activities. As a school, we work to keep this tradition alive because it provides a connection to our cultural roots and between generations.”
This year’s lucky eighth-grader was Clara Tirrell, who wore the traditional white dress with a red sash, and a crown of lit candles as she led her attendants through the procession. St. Lucia was joined in this year’s procession by her attendants, Anya O’Meara and Ashley Conroy; and star boys, Noah Margeson, Trevor Hill and Jacob Weymouth. The Tomtegubbars’ role was filled by Maggie Landeen, Nevaeh Walker, Jeremiah Holmes, Anastacia Hearn, Pheobe Solomon and Crystal Forbes, while the Pepparkakorgubbars were played by Lars Spooner, Douglas Butterfield, Jolena Easter, Landen Moutinho and Tasha Breneman.
The students followed St. Lucia, while passing out traditional pepperkakor cookies to all in attendance.
Community members, parents and children joined together to participate in a traditional Swedish folk dance around the Christmas tree to bring the evening to a close.
