December is the winter month par excellence, perhaps also the darkest due to the increasingly shorter days...
But here in northern Italy, before Christmas Eve arrives, there's a special day, December 13th, where we celebrate the spirit of light, Saint Lucia, the first spirit of Christmas, who brings gifts to children and symbolizes the star of hope and the bright star of God... it's a truly magical night, celebrated in Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino: if you ask a child in Bergamo, Brescia, or Verona who brings gifts, they'll answer without hesitation: Saint Lucia. In these areas, the night between December 12th and 13th is charged with an electricity that not even Santa Claus can match. Children know that Saint Lucia descends from heaven on her trusty donkey, visiting the homes of good children. The ritual is rigorous, and woe betide anyone who breaks it: 1) Write a letter (often weeks in advance). 2) On the evening of December 12th, a dish is prepared on the table. 3) Hay or cornmeal is left for the donkey (who is tired and hungry). 4) Coffee or biscuits are left for Saint Lucia.
Golden rule: go to bed early. Those who are awake when the Saint arrives only get ashes in their eyes! All the stories speak of Lucia as a beautiful young woman, linked to the light in various ways, including her name, which meant she carried a shining candle in her hands to illuminate the darkness and ease her journey as she brought food to the Christians hidden in the catacombs. The holiday anciently fell near the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, strengthening its symbolic connection with the returning light.
This is how I imagine this spirit: beautiful in her richly embroidered dark red dress, with a garland of holly and red berries holding back her long blond hair braided with red velvet ribbons—in short, a vision such as only good spirits can be… My hope is that she kindles a light of hope and peace in your homes…Merry Christmas, from the bottom of my heart…
