History of the Festival of St. Lucia
History of the Festival of St. Lucia
The Festival of St. Lucia, which is traditionally celebrated on December 13, begins the Christmas season in Swedish custom. The so-called Festival of Lights stems from the fourth-century martyrdom of an Italian saint and an incident that followed. According to Swedish legend, a ship carrying a maiden "clothed in white and crowned with light" appeared on the shore in Värmland during a great famine. The maiden, widely believed to be Lucia, distributed food and clothing to the needy, thus endearing herself to the Swedish people.
The festival is celebrated at Gustavus with a chapel service featuring a court of five sophomore women chosen for their leadership, service to the College and others, charity, kindness, and thoughtfulness. The service is followed by a Scandinavian smörgåsbord luncheon and program.
The St. Lucia luncheon sells out early every year. Invitations are mailed to Gustavus Library Associates (GLA) members the first week of October. No reservations will be taken before this time.
To join GLA, contact the Office of Public Relations at (507) 933-7520.
Did you know?
The Gustavus Frisbee Club, formed in 1975, sent its first participant to a national tournament when Timothy John Olson '77 participated in the U.S. National Frisbee Tournament in the spring of 1977.
Men's Soccer Players Malmquist and Stewart-Franzen Gaining Experience in Premier Development League
Gustavus men's soccer players Max Malmquist and Flynn Stewart-Franzen are spending their summer vacation in Salt Lake City, Utah playing soccer for the Ogden Outlaws of the Premier Development League (PDL). The Outlaws defeated the Brigham Young Cougars 2-1 on the Fourth of July and Stewart-Franzen tied the score at 1-1 with a goal in the 56th minute.
