Advent is full of beautiful traditions and devotions (See here for a breakdown of all of them!), and it also brings with it a handful of beloved feast days.

Among them, St. Lucy’s Day has become a standout for our family. While we definitely don’t have the bandwidth to celebrate every single feast that falls during Advent, we always make space for December 13th. There’s something especially joyful-and perfectly timed-about celebrating St. Lucy right in the middle of Advent’s quiet anticipation.

Before I share what we do in our home, I want to offer a brief look at her life and the remarkable legend that has made her feast so widely loved. After that, I’ll walk through the simple ways we honor her day as a family.

✨Who was St. Lucy?

St. Lucy was a fourth-century Roman martyr, remembered for her courage and compassion. During the Diocletian persecution, she secretly cared for Christians hiding in the catacombs, wearing a wreath of candles on her head to light the dark passages so she could carry food and supplies in both hands.

After losing her father at a young age, Lucy’s mother arranged a marriage for her. But Lucy had already made a quiet vow of virginity. When her mother became gravely ill, Lucy prayed fervently to St. Agatha for her healing. After a miraculous recovery, her mother agreed to call off the wedding.

Her betrothed, furious at being rejected, reported Lucy as a Christian. She refused to deny her faith and was sentenced to death. Yet when soldiers came to take her, they found her immovable. They tried to burn her on the spot, but the flames did not consume her. Some accounts say her eyes were gouged out in desperation, only to be miraculously restored. She was finally killed by the sword.

She is honored as the Patron Saint of Eye illnesses in the Church today.

🕯️ St. Lucy Visits

After her death, Christians quickly began to venerate Lucy as a saint, asking for her intercession in times of trouble - especially during famine.

Over time, several cultures developed beautiful customs around her feast day. In Hungary, families plant wheat seeds on her feast day; the sprouted grain is later placed at the nativity scene on Christmas, symbolizing new life in Christ and His presence in the Eucharist. In the Philippines, a novena is prayed in the days leading up to her feast.

But of all of the cultural traditions, the most notable ones originate in Sweden and Sicily, following legends of her visits.

Sweden

Perhaps the most vivid of these traditions comes from the legend behind Sweden’s famous Lucia festivals. According to the story, during the Middle Ages, the people of Sweden faced a bitter winter and feared they would not have enough provisions to survive. They turned to St. Lucy in prayer, remembering her devotion to bringing food to the Christians in the Catacombs.

On December 13th - the winter solstice in the Julian calendar and the Feast of St. Lucy - they reportedly saw a glowing light crossing the sea in the dark early hours. As it drew closer, they saw a ship illuminated with candles, bearing St. Lucy herself. She was dressed in white with a red sash, a sign of her martyrdom, and wore an evergreen wreath crowned with candles. The ship carried grain and supplies - enough to sustain the people through the winter.

Today, Swedes celebrate her feast with candlelit processions, saffron buns, and traditional songs. In many homes, the eldest daughter dresses as St. Lucia and brings coffee and pastries to the family at dawn, sometimes followed by siblings dressed as “Star Boys” (Lucy’s companions), St. Stephen, white robed martyrs, or even gingerbread figures.

Sicily & Italy

St. Lucy is also the patron saint of Sicily, and each year her relics are processed through the streets of Syracuse, her hometown, before being returned to the cathedral.

Sicily and parts of Italy share stories similar to the Swedish legend - St. Lucy arriving on a ship filled with lights and carrying grain for the hungry.

To honor this memory, Sicilian families traditionally prepare dishes made with whole wheat berries rather than baked goods, recalling the raw grain she is said to have provided. One classic dish is cuccìa, a simple but meaningful bowl of boiled wheat berries. In Northern Italy, the eve of her feast brings joyful processions, where St. Lucy leads a donkey-drawn cart delivering small gifts and treats to children.

🥐Simple Ways to Celebrate St. Lucy’s Day at Home

Now that we’ve taken a look at various customs surrounding her feast, I’ll share some of the ways we’ve incorporated elements of them into our own home.

Cinnamon Rolls

Many people swap other spiced bakery in place of the traditional Swedish Lussekatter, or Saffron Buns. We like to make Cinnamon Rolls! (Here’s a link to the foolproof sourdough ones we make each year)

My daughter invites the family of breakfast and brings the rolls to the table wearing a white dress tied with a red ribbon and a homemade candle crown (The All Saints Play Advent kit has a cute printable one included!). She loves getting to dress up, and takes her roll of serving the buns onto plates and pouring coffee very seriously!

Read-Alouds

I’ve mentioned before about how read-alouds are a core part of our homeschool -they are also a core part of how we live liturgically! We are adding Lucia: Saint of Light to our home library this year, but we’ve also read this one in past years; it’s a great budget option. For older kids, Kirsten’s Surprise from the original American Girl books is a sweet cultural tie-in!

Prayer

We like to add any special prayers to our mealtime one, to make it easier to remember and tie it to something the kids are already used to doing. We usually pray this prayer at breakfast, asking for St. Lucy’s intercession:

“O God, our Creator and Redeemer, Mercifully hear our prayers that as we venerate Thy servant, St. Lucy, for the light of faith Thou didst bestow upon her, Thou wouldst vouchsafe to increase and to preserve this same light in our souls, that we may be able to avoid evil, to do good and to abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.

Relying on Thy goodness, O God, we humbly ask Thee, by the intercession of Thy servant, St. Lucy that Thou wouldst give perfect vision to our eyes, that they may serve for Thy greater honor and glory, and for the salvation of our souls in this world, that we may come to the enjoyment of the unfailing light of the Lamb of God in paradise.

St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear our prayer and obtain our petitions.”

Christmas Lights

We like to drive around and look at Christmas Lights while listening to Christmas music at some point in the season already, so it seemed very fitting to tie this to St. Lucy’s Feast day! The name Lucy means “light,” and her story and legends always emphasize her bringing light into the darkness of winter, foreshadowing the coming of Christ at Christmas.

It’s also a fitting way to add a fun winter treat. If making saffron buns or an Italian feast isn’t your thing, munching on some gingersnaps or sampling Christmas cookies while you watch the lights would also be a fitting way to honor her generosity, in my humble opinion!

Conclusion: Light in the Midst of Winter

I’ve always found St. Lucy’s stories compelling; something about the mystery of her visitations makes her even more awe-inspiring in this winter season. The way her legends echo across different countries feels like more than coincidence. I’m inclined to believe that these shared stories point to a true charism of hers, a glimpse of the generous love she had for the hungry and the suffering during her lifetime.

In celebrating St. Lucy, we remember her life and actions. Her story encourages us to bring light to others, help where we can, and reflect on the meaning of her feast during the dark days of winter.

✨Want to learn more about Feasts that take place during Advent? Make sure to check out this blog post breaking down all the main December Feasts, as well as the All Saints Play Saint Stories and Saint Coloring Pack which make celebrating them even easier!