CHIMACUM — On Dec. 13, children in Sweden awake early.
The girls don white robes with red sashes; the boys put on tall pointed hats with gold stars.
Led by the oldest daughter wearing a wreath with lighted candles on her head, the children, transformed into Santa Lucia and her court, offer a hot drink and pepperkaker, or gingersnaps, saffron buns and cardomom rolls to their parents, then proceed to the homes of relatives to do the same.
On Sunday, the tradition was brought to life at the meeting of the Daughters of Norway’s Thea Foss Lodge, where the daughter and granddaughters of members re-enacted a Scandinavian tradition.
“Santa Lucia is a symbol of light amidst the darkness in Sweden,” said Alison Hedlund, a lodge member who presented a synopsis of the legend.
Before the re-enactment, Kirsten Guthrie read “Lucia Morning in Sweden,” to Josie Dodd, 12, Dana Robersen, 11, and Susan Robersen, 6.
Kirsten, a senior at Port Townsend High School, is the daughter of lodge officer Carol Guthrie.
Josie, who lives on Whidbey Island, is the granddaughter of lodge president Debra Dodd of Irondale.
Dana and Susan, who live in Seattle, are the granddaughters of lodge member Emmy Jones, also of Irondale.
“My father was born in Sweden and my mother’s parents were born there,” Jones said. “I am 100 percent Swedish.”
The book describes a Swedish family getting ready for Santa Lucia Day by baking pepperkaker, getting out the white robes and star boys hats, and gathering lingonberry leaves for Santa Lucia’s wreath.
After the reading, Kirsten asked the girls if they wanted to re-enact the tradition.
They disappeared into a back room, then emerged in white robes, Guthrie wearing a wreath of candles (with battery-operated flames) on her head.
Holding a tray of saffron buns, she led the procession around the room while Hedlund and Diane Forsmark played the Santa Lucia song on violin and guitar.
Then Kirsten placed the pastries on the buffet table.
Baking is also a Christmas tradition of the Guthrie family, she said.
“We get together with Norwegian relatives in Seattle and make cardomom rolls and saffron buns, just like in the book,” she said.
“We also make pepperkake, krumkake [cookies made in a waffle press] and pannekaker [pancakes].”
Members and guests got a taste of Scandinavia at the buffet lunch SEmD open-faced sandwiches and pastries SEmD following the program.
Penny Welsh served saffron buns to Mavis Sorensen of Quilcene, and her neighbor, Annamarie Nylund, who was born and raised in Sweden.
Nylund said she played Santa Lucia for her family, wearing real candles on her head.
Was it dangerous?
“A little bit,” she said.
The real Santa Lucia was a third-century Italian martyr whose life blended with the legend of a woman who delivered food to starving villagers in Sweden during a famine.
According to legend, the woman wore a wreath of branches on her head with lighted candles in it.
“It’s not clear how a saint in Sicily became a symbol of light in Sweden,” Hedlund said. “How she got to Sweden is a mystery.”
The Daughters of Norway lodge will celebrate Christmas at their Dec. 20 meeting with a Juletrefest featuring traditional food, singing and dancing around the Christmas tree.
The public is welcome at the lodge’s meetings, which start at 1 p.m. at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 W. Valley Road at Highway 19 in
Chimacum.
For more information, call Jean Kaldahl, 360-379-1802.
________
Port Townsend/Jefferson County reporter-columnist Jennifer Jackson can be reached at jjackson@olypen.com.
