A special Scandinavian celebration: Julefest 2018

The “queen of lights,” St. Lucia, visited Grand Marais on Saturday, December 15, one of the longest, darkest, days of the year. The visit was part of the 44th annual Julefest at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

Each year a student from the Bethlehem Lutheran Church confirmation class is selected to be St. Lucia. This year’s St. Lucia was Katie Peck of Schroeder.

Community members gathered in the fellowship hall, enjoying coffee and the many Scandinavian treats, such as romme grot, rice pudding, Krumkake, Sandbakkels, Norwegian wedding cake, cardamom toast and more.

As St. Lucia (Katie) entered, Tina Hegg-Raway sang the St. Lucia song—first in Swedish, then in English with the audience singing along. She was accompanied on piano by Stacy Hawkins. The women led the audience through several Christmas tunes.
Also offering lovely holiday music was Philis Anderson on oboe and Sue Anderson on violin.

Pastor Mark Ditmanson emceed the event, with an opening invocation and closing prayer, as well as one in the middle of the program in which he thanked God for “butter and sugar,” the key ingredient in so many Scandinavian treats!

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence joined the festivities – click below to hear her report.  

The Legend of St. Lucia
According to a Swedish folktale, Lucia appeared during a famine and distributed food from a ship to the starving people on land. For centuries, St. Lucia Day has been celebrated in Scandinavian countries on Dec. 13.

That date marks the darkest day in the Swedish winter, and is reason for a family celebration. The oldest daughter in the family is St. Lucia and wears a white dress with a crown made of pine boughs. On the crown are seven glowing candles, to represent the coming of brighter days. Around her waist she wears a bright red sash.

The other children in the family carry candles and follow her into their parents' bedroom, singing the traditional song, Santa Lucia. It is considered bad luck to eat after dawn on this day, so the children treat the parents to a special breakfast in bed.

St. Lucia is the “queen of lights” bringing the promise of longer days after a long, dark winter.