Every year in December the Catholic saint Lucia is celebrated with flaming candles, white dresses and Lucia songs as Lucia parades are held across the country.
But who was Lucia, and how did we come to celebrate her the way that we do?
Lucia was a Catholic saint who was born in Syracuse on the Italian island of Sicily in 283, when it was illegal to be Christian and anyone who was would be executed, but as a young woman Lucia devoted her life Christianity after her mother recovered a deathly illness.
Many Christians had to seek shelter in catacombs around the cities, where they were deeply dependent on outside help. So, at night, Lucia would go into the underground passages with food and help for her fellow Christians, even at enormous risk. If discovered, she would probably be executed.
It was terribly dark in the underground passages, but Lucia had no opportunity to carry any source of light with all the food. So, it is said that she wore a wreath with candles around her head, to help light up the passageways.
One day, Lucia’s parents decided to marry her of to a Roman suitor, but with Lucia having pledged her life to Christianity she had to refuse, and it was revealed that she was a Christian
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