Santa Lucia Day

Santa Lucia Day is celebrated in Scandinavian countries as the beginning of the Christmas season. On December 14 there is a festival celebrating the Christian martyr Saint Lucy. Young girls wear white dresses with lighted wreaths on their heads and young boys wear white pajamas. The lights come from the pagan tradition of using bonfires to scare off evil spirits. During the festival, children sing traditional songs, eat saffron bread and ginger biscuits, and drink coffee with their families.