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 St. Lucy's DayAccording to tradition, St. Lucy, or Santa Lucia, was born in Syracuse, Sicily, in the 3rd or 4th century. Her day is widely celebrated in Sweden as Luciadagen, which marks the official beginning of the Christmas season. It is traditional to observe Luciadagen by dressing the oldest daughter in the family in a white robe tied with a crimson sash. Candles are set into her crown, which is covered with lingonberry leaves. The "Lucia Bride" wakes each member of the household on the morning of December 13 with a tray of coffee and special saffron buns or ginger cookies. More...
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[image not available] I thought this looked like eyeballs on a plate! Quote:Absent in the early narratives and traditions, at least until the 15th century, is the story of Lucia tortured by eye-gouging. According to later accounts, before she died she foretold the punishment of Paschasius and the speedy end of the persecution, adding that Diocletian would reign no more, and Maximian would meet his end.[1] This so angered Paschasius that he ordered the guards to remove her eyes. Another version has Lucy taking her own eyes out in order to discourage a persistent suitor who admired them. When her body was prepared for burial in the family mausoleum it discovered that her eyes had been miraculously restored.
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wonderful vacation stop
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Quote:"Because of this she is the patron saint for protection from throat infections." Does anybody know the patron saint responsible for running noses? I could do with some protection.
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Eyes on the Festa of Santa Lucia
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Carrying eyes around on a plate is not an everyday occurrence, but it happens twice a year in Syracuse, Sicily during the Festa of Santa Lucia, December 13 and May 13. During the Festa, the statue of Santa Lucia is carried through the streets of Syracuse, no mean feat considering that the statue alone is made of 90 kilos of silver, and it stands on a huge base of carved silver – no wonder it takes 60 men to carry it. But back to those eyes on a plate. Several versions of Lucia’s martyrdom are told, including having her eyes gouged out by Diocletian soldiers when she refused to renounce her Christian faith, or even tearing her own eyes out in a rather overly dramatic gesture of her dedication to Christ. Therefore, Santa Lucia is commonly depicted with the symbol of her eyes on a plate. Syracuse’s splendid statue of Lucia is no exception. Lucia’s right hand holds a plate, offering her eyes to God. The name Lucia comes from the word luce – light. She is the protector of eyesight, the patron saint of Syracuse, of ophthalmologists and electricians, and of the blind http://www.italiannotebook.com/events/eyes-festa-santa-lucia/
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Very interesting history of the day and well worth reading....
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 7/26/2014
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Location: Apache Junction, Arizona, United States
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Very interesting history of the day and well worth reading....
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