December Full Moon Altar: Sankta Lucia

This month's full moon altar honours Sankta Lucia, Scandinavian Goddess of the Winter Solstice.  Wearing her Crown of Light and bringing gifts of coffee and saffron buns, Sankta Lucia welcomes the returning sun after the longest night of the year.

My Sankta Lucia statue was a gift from my sister a couple of Christmases ago. Here I've placed her on a silver beaded altar cloth, surrounded by mini-lights and holly leaves with bright red berries. Around the altar's perimeter is a selection of large old and new Christmas tree ornaments.

The two old ornaments on the left belonged to my maternal grandmother. Every Christmas at the family hotel, a huge 12-foot high, real Christmas tree was put up in the restaurant dining room, covered in large glass ornaments specially brought from Switzerland in the 1950s. These are the two which my Mom and I were given after her passing. My sister also has one. They are cherished family heirlooms!

The two new ornaments on the right were both purchased by me over the years. The sacred spiral of life one I got in Winnipeg about 30 years ago. The one of snowy winter branches with red berries I bought here in Edmonton about 5 years ago. I love them both!

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, December 2021]

Winter Solstice Blessings

You know, I wasn't even going 

to bother decorating for 

the holidays this year. 

But getting out my Sankta Lucia statue 

to photograph her for this earlier post 

inspired me to dig through a few 

drawers and cupboards and 

LO AND BEHOLD

all of a sudden I had put together 

a nice little Winter Solstice 

altar arrangement on my sideboard.

So now on this, the shortest day

following the longest night,

I WISH YOU ALL --

[First photo © Debra She Who Seeks, December 2020;

Second image comes from the internet]

My Very Own Sankta Lucia

Today is the Feast Day of Sankta Lucia, the superficially-christianized version of the Scandinavian Goddess of the Winter Solstice. I've blogged about her several times before on this date (check out my previous posts here, if you're interested).

For many years, I have been collecting statues and figurines of the Divine Feminine but have never found, or even seen, one of Sankta Lucia. But last year, my sister surprised me with a lovely, embossed, white porcelain statue of her for Christmas! 

Standing about 10 inches high, Sankta Lucia is wearing her Crown of Light composed of a holly wreath and circle of lighted candles. She carries a tray bearing flowers, coffee and saffron buns (her traditional Feast Day treats).

And, fittingly, SHE LIGHTS UP! 

With a flick of a switch, Sankta Lucia glowingly illuminates the embossed scene on her skirt of the Goddess surrounded by her attendant Maidens and Star Boys.

[photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2020]

BEST. PRESENT. EVER!

Thanks, Sis!

Wearing Her Crown of Light

Today is the sacred day of one of my favourite "Undercover Goddesses" -- Sankta Lucia!

Back in the days when Europe was pagan, She was the Scandinavian Goddess of the Winter Solstice. Following the longest night of the year, She would bring back the light of the sun, not only to illuminate the darkness, but to ensure human survival.

When Northern Europe was Christianized, the Goddess went undercover (as so many did) and was transformed into a Saint of the Christian church. Her "conversion" to Christianity was entirely superficial, however. Her Feast Day remained on the Winter Solstice and Her rituals continued unchanged. Even Her new "saint name" -- Sankta Lucia -- means "Holy Light."

Later, when Renaissance Europe switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, several days were lost in the process. Lucia's Feast Day under the new calendar ended up as December 13, a week before the Winter Solstice. It has remained there ever since.

At dawn on Sankta Lucia's Day, a Scandinavian daughter wearing the Crown of Light will go throughout the house to greet her family and serve them the bounty of the Goddess -- coffee and special yellow saffron buns which represent the returning light.

So ends the longest night

With light that She's bringing.

She is the Queen of Light

Joyfully singing!

Clad in Her garment white,

Wearing Her crown of light --

Sankta Lucia! Sankta Lucia!

Wishing you all joy and light today!

Vintage Sankta Lucia

Today is the sacred day of Sankta Lucia, the Scandinavian Goddess of the Winter Solstice. Following the longest night of the year, She brings back the light of the sun, not only to illuminate the darkness, but to ensure human survival. Sankta Lucia's name means "Holy Light."

When Northern Europe was Christianized, the Goddess was transformed into a Saint, but Her Feast Day remained on the Winter Solstice and Her rituals continued unchanged.

However, when Renaissance Europe switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, several days were lost in the conversion process and Lucia's Feast Day ended up being on December 13, where it has remained ever since.

A Scandinavian daughter wearing the Crown of Light greets her family at dawn on the Winter Solstice and serves them the bounty of the Goddess -- coffee and special yellow saffron buns which represent the returning light.

All the images in this post are classic vintage representations of Sankta Lucia from the early 20th century . . .

. . . except for this photo. I simply had to include it! Isn't she the most darling little Sankta Lucia you've ever seen?

[All images from the internet]

Crowns of Light for the Modern Age

Today is the feast day of Sankta Lucia, the superficially Christianized version of the ancient Scandinavian Goddess of the Winter Solstice. She ensures that the Sacred Light returns to the world every year at the very height of darkness.

                                     So ends the longest night

                                     With light that She's bringing.

                                     She is the Queen of Light

                                     Joyfully singing!

                                     Clad in Her garment white,

                                     Wearing Her Crown of Light --

                                     Sankta Lucia! Sankta Lucia!

But you know, just like the alternative Christmas trees and updated nativity scenes in my last couple of posts, Sankta Lucia can move with the times too!

That's right, this year She Who Wears the Crown of Light has gone GOTH, bitchez!

And She's also been dabbling with a PUNK Crown of Light!

Frankly, I'm not quite sure WHAT the hell this look is . . . .

But OMG, Victoria's Secret? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That goes too far! You can't run around in the snow in THOSE outfits!

(Nice tat though, Sankta Lucia on the end!)

Sankta Lucia's Lussekatt

Today is the Christianized feast day of Sankta Lucia (St. Lucy), the ancient Scandinavian Goddess of the Winter Solstice.

When dawn breaks after the longest night of the year, the eldest daughter traditionally has the honour of wearing Sankta Lucia's Crown of Light while awakening her family with coffee and sweet buns.

These sweet buns are called Lussekatt which means St. Lucy buns or, more literally, St. Lucy cats. Saffron makes the buns golden like the returning sun. They are shaped like an "s" and have raisins at the centre of each sacred spiral. Is the "s" meant to stand for sun or solstice? Or is the shape actually meant to represent a curled-up, sleeping cat?

I know which theory Her Royal Highness subscribes to.

Sankta Lucia's Star Boys

Today is the feast day of Sankta Lucia (St. Lucy), the very superficially Christianized version of the Nordic Goddess of the Winter Solstice, She who brings the returning light after the longest night.

Last year I wrote about the girls called Maidens who accompany Sankta Lucia in the traditional Scandinavian Lucia pageants held on this day. This year I want to focus on the boys who also participate in the ceremony.

Sankta Lucia's male attendants are called Star Boys. Dressed in winter white like the girls, Star Boys wear tall conical hats sprinkled with stars and usually also carry a star on a stick. Star Boys walk in the procession and sing the praises of the Solstice Goddess. Their stars reflect a bit of Her sacred light during the night of long darkness and act as a promise of the greater light to come.

[Photos found on the internet]

The Light Returns With Sankta Lucia

Today is the feast day of Sankta Lucia (St. Lucy), the superficially Christianized rendition of the Nordic Goddess of the Winter Solstice. I've written about Her before (click here and here, if you're interested) but this year I want to focus on the beautiful Maidens who attend Her. Dressed all in white like the winter snow, they are often accessorized with tinsel crowns and sashes as in these photos from various Lucia pageants. The Maidens and their candles assist the Goddess as She brings the Solstice light to brighten the midwinter darkness. Shine on, Maidens, shine on!

Sankta Lucia

Sankta Lucia is the Scandinavian Goddess of the Winter Solstice. After the longest night of the year, She brings back the light to illuminate the darkness so that Her people will have sunshine, food, warmth and survival. Her very name means "Sacred Light." When Europe was Christianized, the Goddess went "undercover" as a saint, but Her Feast Day remained on the Winter Solstice and Her rituals continued unchanged. However, when Renaissance Europe switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, several days were lost in the conversion and Her Feast Day ended up being on December 13.

So ends the longest night

With light that She's bringing.

She is the Queen of Light

Joyfully singing!

Clad in Her garment white,

Wearing Her crown of light --

Sankta Lucia! Sankta Lucia!

In the Procession of Light, Sankta Lucia is accompanied by many candle-bearing attendants -- Maidens in white dresses and Star Boys in conical star-studded hats. All celebrate the return of the light in this beautiful and ancient ceremony.

Sankta Lucia

Today is the feast day of Sankta Lucia (St. Lucy), the thinly Christianized version of the ancient Nordic Goddess of the Winter Solstice. She ensures that the sacred light returns to the world every year at the very zenith of darkness. Under the old Julian calendar, her feast day was actually held on the Winter Solstice, the longest night and shortest day of the year. But under the reformed Gregorian calendar which we use today, her sacred day got shifted backwards to December 13. On this day in Swedish culture, the oldest girl in each family embodies the Saint/Goddess and gets to wear the Lucia Crown of Light. Moving about the dark house at sunrise, she awakens her family with the blessing of light and the bounty of the Goddess (coffee and special buns).

So ends the longest night
With light that She's bringing,
She is the Queen of Light
Joyfully singing!
Clad in her garment white,
Wearing Her Crown of Light --
Sankta Lucia! Sankta Lucia!

The special saffron-raisin buns distributed by Sankta Lucia are yellow like the sun and are called "Lucia cats." So the following picture is appropriate, if perhaps a little too literal!