Celebrating St. Lucy Day

Who is St. Lucy?

St. Lucy was born around 283 CE in Syracuse, Sicily during the Diocletian Persecution. She was born into a devout noble family and from a young age pledged herself to God, choosing to remain unmarried so that she could instead give her dowry—and her life—to the poor and suffering. Her mother, however, had different plans for Lucy and arranged for her to marry a wealthy pagan man. When Lucy refused, he reported her as a Christian to the authorities. Refusing to recant her faith, Lucy was martyred—gruesomely. If you want to read about it, you can do so elsewhere, but let’s just say she’s the patron saint of eyes for a reason.

Artwork from Jen Olson’s Etsy Shop

Even if you don’t know of St. Lucy, you can likely picture how she is often depicted: a young blonde girl dressed in white robes, a red sash around her waist, and a wreath of candles adorning her head. This image comes from the legend that she would take food and aid to the Christians living in the catacombs. Under the cover of darkness, she would wear a wreath of candles on her head to light the way—her hands were so filled with supplies. Her white dress is a baptismal robe, the red sash, symbolic of the blood of her martyrdom, and the candles signal the light of Christ as well as the name Lucia, which means “light” in Latin.

St. Lucy Day Around the World

With a name that means light, it’s fitting that Lucy’s feast day falls during Advent, a season when the Light of the World is born amid the darkest and longest days of the year. Lucy’s feast day, December 13, was set to align with what used to be the Winter Solstice, and still falls very close to it today. St. Lucy Day is thought to mark a turn from the penitence and solemnity of Advent toward the light and joy of Christmastide. Perhaps this is where the confusion of the 12 Days of Christmas ending on December 25 rather than just beginning comes from? (i.e. St. Lucy Day falls twelve days before Christmas). Just a guess!

St. Lucy Procession with a designated “St. Lucy” and “Star Boys”

St. Lucy Day is celebrated around the world, but is particularly popular in Scandinavian countries. Early on the morning of the 13th, the oldest daughter, dressed as Lucy (crown and all!), arises early and delivers sweet rolls made with saffron (“Lucy buns” or lussekatt) to family members in bed, enacting Lucy bringing food to the hungry. All you millennials who had the Kirsten American Girl Doll growing up know exactly what I’m talking about!

In Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, there are processions throughout cities and churches of girls dressed as Lucy carrying cinnamon rolls and cookies, singing Christmas carols. Boys participate as well—wearing white cone hats decorated with golden stars, they are called “star boys.” Sometimes these processions visit malls, schools, and assisted living facilities as well.

How We Celebrate

I love celebrating St. Lucy Day, not only because there are so many fun traditions surrounding it, but because Lucy is a saint my daughters can identify with. She shows my girls that God equips all people—not just adults, not just clergy, not just men—to live a life of radical obedience. Anytime I can celebrate with my daughters a brave young girl not unlike themselves, who followed Jesus in extraordinary ways, I want to do so with gusto.

St. Lucy Rolls for Neighbors

Our celebration starts the day before when we bake sweet bread to deliver to neighbors on St. Lucy Day. It’s usually cinnamon quick bread or pumpkin bread, because that’s what I know how to do, but maybe some day I’ll learn to bake lussekat. Today is not that day. My only rule is that it has to have cinnamon in it (though really, the key ingredient is saffron)! We always mark the baking day on our Advent Activity Calendar as our activity for the day (under the category of “loving others”).

St. Lucia Buns or lussekat. Recipe and picture from Petit World Citizen.

Rather than having the girls deliver US cinnamon rolls in bed on St. Lucy Day, we like to have them deliver rolls to the neighbors instead (though not in bed, ha!). I do this for two reason: First, it’s practical. The tradition is for the oldest girl to deliver rolls to the rest of the family, but that sounds like a recipe for sibling rivalry to me, so I say no thank you. Further, my girls also aren’t really capable of doing this sort of thing on their own just yet.

Second, delivering baked goods to neighbors, many of whom are not Christians, feels more authentic to who St. Lucia actually was than bringing mom and dad breakfast in bed. As much as possible, I want to teach my children to look outward rather than inward. They don’t typically dress in the white robe and red sash because I don’t want to weird the neighbors out too much, but they do like to wear their “St. Lucy crowns,” which are really just Christmas-themed flower crowns I bought off Amazon, but they are really sweet and work well for the occasion.

St. Lucy Breakfast

So what do we do for breakfast if the girls don’t deliver us St. Lucy buns in bed? On the morning of the 13th, I get up before the kids (a RARITY) and make a Cinnamon Roll Wreath Crown. Trust me, this is easier than it sounds, or I wouldn’t be making it.

1. Buy a can of cinnamon rolls.

2. Unroll cinnamon rolls.

3. Braid cinnamon rolls.

4. Shape the braid into a circle. Now it looks like a wreath crown.

5. Put birthday candles in the wreath. Now it looks like St. Lucy’s wreath crown.

We then light the candles and sing a simple song to the tune of “Are You Sleeping” or “Frère Jacques”:

O Saint Lucy, O Saint Lucy

Dressed in white, Dressed in white

Lighting up the darkness, Lighting up the darkness

Shining bright, shining bright

I have Lacy at Catholic Icing to thank for the easy wreath crown cinnamon rolls and song! After singing, we blow out the candles, bless the food and dive in. While I have a captive (and quiet) audience, I talk about who St. Lucy was and why we celebrate her life. We typically do this by reading a book, but I haven’t found one that I love yet, so I’ve written a short lesson about her life that I’ll share in another post.

If it’s unrealistic to squeeze this all in before school and work, the tradition could easily be moved to a post-dinner, dessert. We like doing it in the morning, because it’s a fun way to start out the day and because it’s closer to the tradition followed in Scandinavia, but do what works best for your family!

Being Saints of Light

In the afternoon, we deliver baked treats to our neighbors. Over dinner, we discuss how serving others shines the light of Christ in a dark world. After dinner, would be a great time to drive around and look at Christmas lights—on the feast of the “saint of light”! We typically save looking at Christmas lights until Christmastide, or at least later in Advent, but this seems like a fitting way to mark the slow transition out of the solemnity of Advent and into the joyous light of Christmas.

May we all be like St. Lucy this Advent season, shining the light of Christ for people walking in darkness.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” - Isaiah 9:2

Celebrating St. Nicholas Day

Who is St. Nicholas?

Artist: Susan Seals

St. Nicholas was born around 270 AD in Asia Minor, located in modern day Turkey. Though not much is known for certain about his life, his remarkable generosity is undisputed. Nicholas was born into a devout Christian family, and when his parents died, he sold off their belongings and distributed his inheritance among the poor. Nicholas became a priest, and eventually the Bishop of Myra, purportedly attending the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, from which the Nicene Creed (“We believe in one God, the Father Almighty….”)—recited weekly in churches around the world—comes.

Perhaps the most famous story about St. Nicholas is that of the “Three Sisters and the Gold Coins.” Nicholas heard of a man who had three daughters, but no money to pay for their dowry. With no prospect of a husband or employment, these girls would have likely been forced into a life of prostitution. Nicholas heard of their plight, and threw a bag of gold coins—the cost of one dowry—through their open window one night. He did the same thing the next two nights, and the three sisters were saved from a life of misery. There are many stories like this of his secret gift-giving, and his love of children in particular.

Eventually, he was named a saint, and his feast day was set for December 6, when children around the world set shoes or stockings out for St. Nicholas to fill.

How is St. Nicholas Related to Santa Claus?

The name Santa Claus comes from Sinterklass, which is Dutch for Saint Nicholas. St. Nicholas is Santa Claus. How St. Nicholas evolved from a Turkish Bishop to a jolly white man with flying reindeer and workshop in the North Pole is a very long and interesting story for another time. I’ll link to some great resources for further reading below!

When it comes to the question of Santa Claus and St. Nicholas Day, there are two lines you can take as I see it:

1. St. Nicholas is solely a historical figure and does not give gifts today: You can tell your children that Santa Claus as conveyed in popular culture does not exist, but there was a man named St. Nicholas who did. While we have a lot to learn and celebrate about him, he does not fill their stockings or bring presents. This is just a fun tradition, and you fill their stockings in the spirit of St. Nicholas.

2. St. Nicholas was a historical figure who continues to give gifts today: You can tell your children that St. Nicholas was a bishop who lived long ago and spread the love of God by giving gifts in secret. Though he died, he lives in Heaven with God now and still continues to give gifts, and fill stockings on St. Nicholas Day. This allows for children to experience the wonder of Santa Claus while staying true to who St. Nicholas really was and is, and keeping it centered on the faith.

How We Celebrate St. Nicholas Day

We have pursued the second option with our family, and here’s how we do it…

It’s probably more popular to set out shoes on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, but we’ve decided to do stockings in our house. On December 6, the girls wake up to their stockings filled with small goodies which always include:

• Chocolate coins (after the story of St. Nicholas and the gold coins)

• A clementine (a tradition that symbolizes the gold coins given in the dowry as well as the food St. Nicholas would give to those in need)

• One dollar (for the girls to give away to someone in need just as St. Nicholas did with his inheritance)

• A candy cane to symbolize the bishop’s crozier (the stick that looks like a shepherd’s staff)

• Other small treats

Some years, we have had St. Nicholas come on Christmas as well, leaving a single gift for them, but since we are traveling this year, I don’t think we’ll do that again. Either way, our main focus is his feast day, December 6.

We always read our favorite St. Nicholas book, The Legend of St. Nicholas, and have the girls go through their toys and clothes to donate to those in need. Some years, we don’t have much to donate, so we purchase something for a toy drive. Oh, and there are also TONS of fun St. Nicholas crafts to do.

At dinner or bedtime, we offer a prayer of thanks for St. Nicholas:

“God of joy and cheer,
we thank you for your servant,
the good bishop Nicholas.
In loving the poor,
he showed us your kindness;
in caring for your children,
he revealed your love.
Make us thoughtful
without need of reward
so that we, too, may be faithful followers of Jesus.”

From All Through the Day, All Through the Year: Family Prayers and Celebrations, by David B. Batchelder, illustrated by Barbara Knutson, copyright © 2000 Augsburg Fortress.

Answering Children’s Questions About St. Nicholas

If you choose to have it be St. Nicholas who fills your kids’ stockings and/or brings gifts, they are going to have a lot of questions. They were going to have a lot of questions about Santa Claus anyways, but the questions about St. Nicholas vs. Santa Claus are going to be different in kind. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but here are some that have been helpful to me. Kendra Tierney’s book has been very helpful to me in thinking through how to do Santa without lying to your kids, and I’ll link to her blog below.

Who is St. Nicholas? St. Nicholas was a Bishop (like a priest or pastor) who lived a very long time ago and loved God and people very much—especially children. He was very generous, always giving away money and food to those in need, but he always did it in secret because he wanted people to give glory to God instead of himself.

Then who is Santa Claus? Santa Claus just comes from the Dutch word for St. Nicholas. Santa Claus means Saint Nicholas and they are the same person. But because he lived so long ago, we don’t know a lot about him for certain. We just have the stories that are passed down to us through the years. Sometimes people have different stories about who he was. It’s fine for them to believe that. What’s important is that we remember the basics: A bishop who loved God and gave to others in secret.

Where does St. Nicholas live now? Like all people who die and love God, St. Nicholas now lives in heaven with God. He is still doing God’s work of loving others even from heaven and secretly giving gifts to people.

What about the North Pole? We don’t really know for sure, but some people say he has a workshop in the North Pole even though he lives in heaven.

What about Mrs. Clause? There’s no record of a Mrs. Claus and typically Bishops weren’t allowed to marry, but we don’t know everything about St. Nicholas’s life, so it’s possible there is a Mrs. Claus.

Why does he come to our house on December 6 but to other people only on December 25? St. Nicholas comes an extra day for people who celebrate his feast day. Isn’t that awesome?!

What about flying reindeer, getting around the world in one night, and other seemingly impossible feats? Saint’s stories are full of miracles of God: slaying dragons, healing the sick, taming wolves—so it doesn’t seem unreasonable to think that a saint might, in God’s power, get around the world in one night, or have reindeer that fly!

Is the Santa we see in the mall the real St. Nicholas? Probably not. They are probably people who are spreading God’s love on St. Nicholas’ behalf.

But won’t children have a crisis of faith in God once they realize St. Nicholas isn’t real? Well, first of all, St. Nicholas IS real ;) He was a faithful man of God who lives in heaven with God now. So I don’t think there’s a crisis of faith to be had. Once my children are old enough, I will explain to them how Jesus ascended to heaven where he lives with God, and the church is called to be his hands and feet on earth. In a similar way, St. Nicholas lives in heaven with God and Jesus, and we continue giving secret gifts on his behalf, spreading the love of God to others.

These are by no means perfect answers, but they’re as honest and straightforward as I’ve been able to work out, and they’ve served us fine so far. When confronted with a question I don’t know how to answer (like when Amelia asked me if the Santa at the store the other day was the real St. Nicholas), I often say, “What do you think?” It’s usually pretty fun to hear their answer!

I hope you feel freedom to celebrate St. Nicholas and know that you are not lying to your children or overshadowing “the reason for the season"—rather, you are showing your children how one faithful man loved Jesus, and how they can do it too!

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Further Resources

St. Nicholas Center: This website is the BEST resource out there for all things St. Nicholas—crafts, history, prayers, stories, and more.

St. Nicholas and the Origin of Santa

How to do Santa without Lying to Your Kids by Kendra Tierney

Advent Activity Calendar for Faithful Families

There are a million and one ways to do an Advent calendar, but what our family has landed on is an Advent Activity Calendar with three goals in mind: Acts that help us love God, love others, and love one another. Each day, there is either an act of service (love others), a family tradition (love one another), or a spiritual practice (love God).

How It Works

Here’s how it works: Before Advent begins, I take out sheet of paper and write down each day of Advent on a separate line. Then, I pull out family calendar and the liturgical calendar and begin to fill in dates. For example, I know we go to church every Sunday, and that the City’s Christmas Parade is on Dec 7, so I put those dates on our Advent calendar. I also know that St. Nicholas Day is on Dec 6, St. Lucy Day is on Dec 13 and Las Posadas is on Dec 16—all days we like to celebrate in Advent, so I fill those in.

After that, I make a list of all the activities that are important Advent family traditions for us—making a birthday card for Jesus, driving around to look at Christmas lights in our pajamas, etc—and I slot those in on our Advent Calendar.

Last, I fill in the acts of service (many of which are also a family tradition at this point) that I would like our family to do together as we prepare the way for Christ in Advent—making blessing bags for the homeless, donating toys we no longer play with, baking treats for neighbors, etc…

Then, I take the sheet of paper, cut it into strips, and stick those strips in the corresponding day of the Advent calendar. Be sure to keep a master copy for yourself so YOU know your own schedule - ha! Every morning when the kids wake up, they are so excited to see what the Advent activity for the day is. Reflecting on that activity at the end of the day also often provides a great dinner conversation topic.

The key to putting together an Advent Activity Calendar is to make it easy on yourself! Most things need to be free and require no preparation. Many of the activities are things we would be doing already, but putting them on the calendar is great because now they are scheduled! Leave Sundays as a day of rest, with nothing to do other than going to church and lighting the Advent wreath. I don’t know about you, but getting three kids to church on time is work enough for one day, especially the Sabbath.

Why We Do It

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that this calendar does take considerable effort, and it’s certainly not the only meaningful way to do it. This isn’t for everyone—especially if you are already committed to other types of Advent practices. But we’ve chosen this way for three reasons:

1. We believe that traditions are important to instilling a child’s sense of identity in their faith and family.

2. We take a more minimalist approach to Christmas gifts, so Brendan and I see this calendar as a way of giving the gift of time to our children.

3. Practically, it helps us redirect focus and excitement from “getting” to “doing.” And the whole thing about liturgy and worship is that we become what we do habitually.

This is absolutely not the only way to form traditions and spend time with your children, but it’s the way that works for us right now!

I hope this blesses you and your family this Advent season!

A few practical notes:

• We typically get our tree the day before Advent begins so that we can use the tree trimmings to make our Advent wreath. We wait to decorate it until the first day of Advent.

• Some of the activities are specific to our family, but you can just insert your own family tradition there.

• Most of the activities can be moved around—I’ve bolded the activities that are tied to that particular date due to the liturgical calendar.

• That said, we are not Catholic! There are many more feast days Catholics celebrate during Advent, but our family celebrates only a handful.

• I’ve put asterisks next to activities that I will give further explain during Advent—stay tuned!

Advent Activity Calendar

Nov 30: Get Christmas Tree + Ask for tree trimmings for your Advent Wreath

Dec 1: Make Advent Wreath, Light First Advent Candle at Dinner + Discuss “New Church Year’s Resolutions”

Dec 2: Decorate Christmas Tree, Set up nativity with animals*

Dec 3: Make “Stained Glass” ornaments out of dried oranges or grapefruits*

Dec 4: Assemble “Blessing Bags” for the homeless to keep in car and give away during Advent (suggestions: water, granola bars, band aids, chapstick, gloves, socks, toothbrush + paste, baby wipes)

Dec 5: Go through toys or purchase one from store to donate in the spirit of St. Nicholas

Dec 6: St Nicholas Day - Stockings + Read The Legend of St. Nicholas by Anselm Grün*

Dec 7: City Christmas Parade

Dec 8: Church + Light Second Advent Candle at Dinner

Dec 9: Add manger to nativity

Dec 10: Make Christmas gifts for family + friends (suggestion: peppermint or gingerbread play dough)*

Dec 11: Candy Cane Hunt + Blessing of Candy Canes to give to friends and hang on tree*

Dec 12: Bake sweet bread for neighbors to deliver on St. Lucy Day*

Dec 13: St. Lucy Day - Make cinnamon crown bread for breakfast + tell the story of St. Lucy, Deliver sweet bread to neighbors*

Dec 14: Read a Christmas story by fire or tree light

Dec 15: Church & Light Third Advent Candle at Dinner

Dec 16: Las Posadas Begins - Read The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie DePaola + Drink Mexican Hot Chocolate*

Dec 17: Do a secret act of kindness for someone today

Dec 18: Write Christmas cards for teachers

Dec 19: Attend a Live Nativity

Dec 20: Make birthday card for Jesus

Dec 21: Drive around to look at Christmas lights in pajamas

Dec 22: Church + Light Four Advent Candles at Dinner

Dec 23: Add Mary and Joseph to Nativity

Dec 24: Bake Birthday Pie or Cake for Jesus, Attend Christmas Eve Service, Move Jesus into manger before bed

Dec 25 Christmas Day! Add Shepherds and Angels to nativity, Sing “Joy to the World” or “Happy Birthday” before eating birthday pie, Read aloud Jesus’ Birthday cards

Weekly Advent Wreath Prayers

Many churches provide Advent wreath materials, devotionals, and prayer guides. If yours does not—or if you just want to learn a little more about the tradition—this post is for you. If you are looking for more Advent resources, I’ve put together a list helpful things here!

The Advent wreath provides a way of marking time through the season leading up to Christmas. As another candle is lit each week, the light in the darkness grows brighter and brighter until the Light of the World arrives. The Advent wreath opens space to slow down amid a busy season of preparations, and to spend time in prayer and reflection as a family.

Symbolically, the circle of the wreath represents God’s infinite and unending love, and the evergreen represents the everlasting life we receive through his Son. The candles, of course, represent Jesus as the Light of the World. Purple, the color of the three candles, symbolizes not only penitence, but also royalty, signaling the coming of a King.

Thematically, the first week of Advent focuses on hope, the second week on peace, the third on joy (represented by the pink candle), and the fourth on love. Reflecting on these virtues each week rather than the scripture passages may be more appropriate for very young children. A fifth white candle--the Christ candle--may also be added and lit on Christmas day, and through Christmastide.

At the bottom of this post are prayers that can be offered as the candles are lit each week (or evening) along with scripture passages for discussion at meal or bed time. These passages were selected from the Revised Common Lectionary.

Making an Advent wreath is simple! All you need is a wreath ring, the proper candles, and some greenery. Pro tip: If you get your tree on the first day of Advent, you can ask to keep your tree clippings and use it for the greenery around the wreath.

Weekly Advent Wreath Prayers

Below are weekly Advent week prayers for personal use. If you would like to distribute, or would like a full Advent Guide for your family, including weekly Advent wreath devotionals, check out the Little Way Advent Guide. (Churches, please purchase the Group License Advent Guide to distribute prayers among your congregation.)

Little Way Advent Guide 2024

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First Week: Hope (Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44)

God of hope, we light this candle as we prepare for the coming of your Son. Awaken our hearts to you this Advent season, so that when Christ arrives, we are ready to receive him with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength. Amen. (Light one purple candle.)

Second Week: Peace (Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12)

God of peace, during this Advent season, keep us from getting caught up in the busyness and chaos of the world around us. Help us to slow down, so that we may find rest in the Prince of Peace, your son, Jesus Christ. As we prepare for his coming, make us instruments of your peace in our homes, in our schools, in our work and in our world. Amen. (Light two purple candles).

Third Week: Joy (Isaiah 35:1-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11)

God of joy, it is in your love that we find lasting joy. Keep us from seeking happiness in things that will not last, for we brought nothing into this world and can take nothing out of it. Teach us instead to find joy in the gift of your Son, who came into this world with nothing, yet gave us everything. May his joy bubble up in our hearts and overflow to all we meet this Advent season. Amen. (Light two purple and one pink candle.)

Fourth Week: Love (Isaiah 7:10-16; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25)

God of love, you sent your Son, Jesus, to shine bright like the sun, lighting the way for all who walk in darkness. May the light of Christ’s hope, peace, joy and love shine bright in us as we approach his coming, that we may be ready to welcome him on Christmas day and every day. Amen. (Light all four candles.)

Why the Church Year Matters

I talk a lot about the church year around here. Why? Because I believe it is one of the most powerful tools we have for following Jesus faithfully and intentionally. The church year offers a way of aligning the rhythms and patterns of our lives with the life of Jesus and his church. It allows us not simply to follow a man who lived 2,000 years ago, but to follow Jesus in real time, participating with him in his life, death and resurrection here and now.

We anticipate and prepare for his coming during Advent, celebrate his birth during Christmastide, and walk with him through his childhood and ministry during Epiphany. We go with Jesus into the desert for forty days of fasting and repentance during Lent, and carry his cross to Calvary during Holy Week.

We are resurrected with Jesus on Easter, and in the seven weeks of Eastertide that follow, we walk with our resurrected Lord who preaches and performs miracles among his disciples with holes in his hands and feet. Forty days after Jesus’ resurrection, he ascends to Heaven to be with the Father. Ten days after that the promised Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost and the church is born. How the Holy Spirit moves and works through that newly formed church is what we call Ordinary Time.

By ordering our lives around the church’s calendar, “following Jesus” isn’t just an abstract ideal that we apply to particular situations and scenarios—it is something that we do day in and day out, year after Christian year.

A new year is about to begin again with Advent, and now is the perfect time to start thinking about how you will live into it.