Santa Lucia and The Angel!

Santa Lucia is celebrated on December 13th. The story is told that Santa Lucia was a beautiful Christian maiden who lived many centuries ago in Rome. Because she refused to give up her religion to marry a pagan, she was burned at the stake by order of the Emperor Diocletian. Her saint's day falls on December 13, a day that was celebrated even in pre-Christian Sweden as the beginning of the Festival of Light-Winter Solstice, the day when they say that "the sun stands still."
We are going to attend a vespers service at a local Orthodox church this evening. After the service there will be a Santa Lucia celebration. The church will be warmly lit with candles, the air will smell of incense and several young maidens will come into the sanctuary wearing white dresses, candles on their heads, and bearing plates of cookies. It will be a joyful time!
The picture below is of our daughter, when she was the Lucia Queen, several years back. It is a fond memory! Laura Jane is wearing her Aunt Christine's white velvet wedding dress. Christine is with all the other saints now. She was given the name "Lucia" when confirmed into the Orthodox Church and before going to her final home.

My mother, the angel. This is a most prized photo and priceless, to say the least! Mom was born in 1910, and the youngest of twelve children. Her mother took the time to get her into this angel dress and take the picture. You can see that my mother was not all that thrilled with the pose but she was trying her best! It's just the sweetest picture to look at! I imagine there was a Christmas pageant, and mom was the angel come to bid "Glad Tidings of Great Joy, For Unto Us A Child Is Born!"
May you all hear the message that my mom brings, "Christ is born!" May you have a very blessed Christmas season!!