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| A doll dressed for St. Lucy's Day |
December 13th is Saint Lucy's day and is celebrated to honor Saint Lucy, a Christian martyr who is the patron saint of the blind. In traditional celebrations Saint Lucy is portrayed by a young girl with a crown of lights or carrying a candle.
Most holiday celebration occurs on Christmas Eve. The day may consist of a visit to the cemetery to remember loved ones who have passed, leaving candles on their graves. Lunch this day is rice pudding or porridge and the meal time might be spent listening to the Declaration of Peace on the tv or radio. Families also traditionally visit the a sauna on this day before partaking of their Christmas dinner later that evening. Farm animals and birds might also be given a special treat when farmers hang wheat or nuts and suet from a tree.
What's very special is that many believe Santa Claus lives in Finland, on the mountain of Korvatunturi in the town of Savukoski. This is in the northern area of Finland known as Lapland. On Christmas Eve each child receives a personal visit from Santa Claus, or Joulupukki, since Finland is his first stop of the night. He knocks on the front door and when welcomed in asks if the children have been good. After presents are handed out Santa leaves to deliver gifts to the rest of the world.
Hyvaa Joulua everyone!
The Declaration of Peace
Tomorrow, God willing, is the graceful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior; and thus is declared a peaceful Christmas time to all, by advising devotion and to behave otherwise quietly and peacefully, because he who breaks this peace and violates the peace of Christmas by any illegal or improper behavior shall under aggravating circumstances be guilty and punished according to what the law and statutes prescribe for each and every offence separately.
Finally, a joyous Christmas feast is wished to all inhabitants of the city.
PS - I'm not sure how peaceful that Declaration of Peace really sounds...
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