Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my family celebrates Santa Lucia. She’s not a female version of Santa Claus, but rather an Italian saint. For some reason lost in history, her story spread to the other end of Europe (Scandinavia) but to nowhere in between. In Northern Europe, this Christian saint’s holiday merged with a not-so-Christian midwinter festival. While the official start of winter is December 21, Santa Lucia Day dates back to the pre-Gregorian calendar, so Swedes celebrate the coming of winter 8 days earlier.
Scandinavian children (like me) honor this holiday by waking up their parents the morning of December 13 and serving them breakfast (read cookies) in bed. Naturally, this holiday has traditional costumes. Boys only need to carry a wand reminiscent of Harry Potter, but girls must dress up as Santa Lucia, wearing lit candles in their hair. (Of course, those who have especially flammable hair may use electric candles.)
In the evening, traditional recipes appear. Besides the delightful saffron rolls and ginger cookies, the truly brave (or reckless) may try lutefisk. This near-mythical dish — I have never seen it — is more commonly known as rotten fish. Apparently, my Viking ancestors ate it to prove their gastronomical fortitude when they took a break from plundering. One day, I will also experience this rite of passage.
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