SANTA LUCIA IN ITALY
The celebration of Saint Lucia's Day is on December 13th. It’s an old tradition, celebrated and anticipated, above all, by children. Many legends have grown up around her story. Some say that she was tortured because she was Christian and her eyes were put out before her death. For this reason, children are forbidden to look into her eyes... Adults tell their sons and daughters that Santa Lucia always come in the night and brings them presents if they are good kids, black coal if they are bad kids. In the evening of the 12th she (or better said, a local woman disguised as Santa Lucia) walks through the streets wearing a sky blue dress and a veil, ringing a bell. Children are usually asked to leave some milk and some bread at the house door, sometimes with a blanket. They have to go to bed early on the 12th of December evening (I remember, I went to bed at 8 p.m. !!!). If they wait up for the Saint, Santa Lucia can throw some ashes into their eyes. She is supposed to arrive with a donkey carrying a cart full of gifts (usually toys and sweets). Children usually write letters to Santa Lucia the days before. In Bergamo there is the Santa Lucia Church: children from Bergamo and from the surrounding area usually put their letters in a basket inside this old Church. There is a nice nursery rhyme children know both in our dialect and in Italian:
Santa Löséa Mama méa
Co' la borsa del papà
Santa Löséa la rierà
Santa Lucia mamma mia
Con la borsa del papà
Santa Lucia verrà
Laura Buizza
School name: Scuola Primaria Ancelle della Carità
City: Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Italy
Grade: 3rd (8-9 years old)
The Church consecrated to Santa Lucia in Bergamo was built in 1592. It is located on the XX September Street, the main street of Bergamo.
