Dark dark dark and a little bit of light. Violet sits on the table there every morning when I pour my coffee — can you see her back there? Audrey's at my feet waiting for her treat. It's the same, every single day, winter, spring, summer, and fall. Though in winter it's so dark. We get up before six, no matter the day, Sunday included.
On Thursday, five and possibly six more people will be here for Thanksgiving. We usually do Thanksgiving and Christmas here at our place, and I love that. I've been a very, very indulgent Mrs. Paulson and ordered this tablecloth and matching napkins. Last year I asked for a solid white hotel tablecloth to fit the table when all the leaves are in it (thank you, dear mother-in-law). Since I have the same peeps for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I try to do different tables for each, so now I'll have two nice cloths. I find managing tablecloths very difficult. I think I'm supposed to have them cleaned and rolled on tubes? Washing them seems really difficult because they get so wrinkled and look terrible the next time you want to use them, and I don't want to spend two hours ironing a tablecloth the day of my party (which is when I usually remember that I need a tablecloth). This year I think I'll get everything cleaned afterward, and see if they'll roll them up for me. I found some really cute placemats at Kmart yesterday, but they're not on-line. They're Martha Stewart Everyday from the Winter Jubilee collection — just plain red with a little white folksy design across top and bottom — 40% off this weekend, so they were like $2.50 each or something (and I saw that Martha also has green and red pom-pom garlands there, too, if you don't wanna make them). I think that will all look pretty in the dining room.
IF YOU ARE RELATED TO ME BY MARRIAGE, CEASE READING NOW.
Okay. Last night I was looking around at Christmas decorations on Flickr and found exactly what I was looking for. Little Lucia and her attendants. I had thought I wouldn't be making gifts by hand this year, but then Andy and I cooked up a great idea for all of our family presents (which mostly involves him doing pretty much everything, phew — will tell you about that later) and I'd been wanting to do something special, too, for someone special who loves Santa Lucia day. So I'm going to try to make the little dolls, somehow.
This is Carl Larsson's painting of Lucia, 1908. I've always liked Lucia because she was an Italian girl (like me) embraced by Swedes (as I've been), and Santa Lucia is usually portrayed by the oldest daughter in the family (that's me!). Santa Lucia Day was celebrated at our college every year in the sweetest candlelit ceremony in the chapel. Everyone taking Swedish (it was one of the languages offered, so many people studied it) sang the song, in Swedish, but here is an English version. I love this. I especially like hearing it sung by a group of students or children:
The night goes with weighty step 'round yard and hearth, 'round earth. The sun's departure leaves the woods brooding. There in our dark house, appearing with lighted candles: Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.
The night goes great and mute. Now one hears its wings in every silent room, murmuring as if from wings. Look at our threshold. There she stands, white-clad, with lights in her hair: Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia
The darkness shall soon depart from the earth's valleys; thus she speaks a wonderful word to us. The day shall rise anew from the rosy sky: Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.
Woods brooding. Murmuring night wings. I need to start my dolls soon, so I can send them in time to get there for the day.
Do any of you celebrate Santa Lucia Day? If anyone is from Sweden and knows how to get a set of those little dolls, would you let me know? I would absolutely love to have them. Like, love love love. Did I say love?
I am of Italian descent too and my grandmother was named Lucia so this is very dear to me - and I love things Swedish! The little dolls are great - I know you will do a beautiful set.
We get up early too. Five o'clock usually. We get so much more done in a day!
Love Carl Larsson. Whenever I hear the name Lucia, I think of my mom's friend Lucia, who was Swedish, living in Minnesota. Then I think of the song Santa Lucia. Then I think of Captain Corelli's Mandolin. I believe in the movie the Italians sing the song with lovely harmonies.
More rain here.....sigh......Makes one happy to be inside.
Your holiday entertaining plans sound wonderful. Have a happy day :)
I'm Swedish :-) and I love Lucia day (it's so beautiful it brings me to tears *smile*). I loved in school when we were gathered early, early and it was still dark outside (and inside), when Lucia and the others came, walking slowly, singing, bringing light. Sooooo beautiful. And one year I woke up having Lucia in my living room!! By the time a guy rented a room in my flat and early in the morning (around 6) his girlfriend and her friend came as Lucias and woke him up by knocking on his window and singing. He let them in and I woke up by the song. We sat there in the dark - only the Lucia candles - this guy and me, listening to the girls singing. Afterwards they gave us ginger snaps and Lucia buns and hot "glögg".
Gah, I'm getting nostalgic here :-)
Anyway, if I see any dolls I'll tell you as soon as possible! (And now I remember I made a little Lucia doll for my grandma several years ago, unfortunately I have no photo of it.)
I love your new tablecloth. I've started collecting tablecloths and cloth napkins. Just yesterday I found two sets of lovely cloth Christmas napkins while on a thrifting trip.
My grandmother on my Father's side is Swedish. I wish Lucia day had been passed down with our traditions. I've always though it sounded so lovely. When my father's family came over to Canada from Finland they seem to have left behind many traditions. Thankfully that wasn't the case on my mother's (German) side of the family!
I'm Danish, so I have only a cultural familiarity with the Lucia celebration, which makes me totally envious. But I love the festivities and the "bringing of the light", not to mention Carl Larsson's charming work.
And, hey, who wouldn't want to wake up to breakfast in bed served by your older sister with her head in flames?!
Okay, that sounded snarky. I love my sis. But there were times she really deserved to have her hair set on fire. Heh.
You need to come to Kiev to buy tablecloths! Yum! And so cheap! I'm trying to stock up but I don't know what size table I'll have the next place I live, so I guess I'll just have to buy all sizes!
I did a little research for you and think this is the one: http://www.lampmetropolen.se/?pid=211645
Lucia is one of our Swedish traditions that I love the best. To hear all those lovely songs in the dark candlelit winter morning.. *happy sigh*.
It all sounds so lovely. Like a magazine. My neighbor always washes and starches her linens and then folds them onto hangers. She said that's how the "upper crust" kind of people did it,(or had their people do it) with the folds there. Her husband worked at posh hotels for most of their young married life and they knew lots of SF society people as young marrieds. She throws parties with lots of lovely tables all thru the house each with old silver and china, always beautiful. So my linens are all starched and folded. Like old school society.
I have the same tablecloth dilemma at my house too! I love tablecloths but HATE preparing them for use. I bought a bunch of beautiful April Cornell tablecloths at a 50% off clearance sale. I was so thrilled with my bounty until the first time I washed & dried them. No amount of ironing could get all the wrinkles out. So now these beautiful cloths reside on patio table outside. Even the napkins are wrinkly. Such a bummer.
I had never heard of Lucia until my dd's went to an American Girl party and learned the tradition. Before that, I only thought Santa Lucia was the song they sang on an Andy Griffith Show episode. Great! Now I have to get that out of my head.....
Its always so nice when we can connect with a famed story or tradition in our own way.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family. I love the tablecloth.........envy sinking in. ;-)
We always did St. Lucia's day, and, being the only girl, I always got to wear the dress and wreath and bring people breakfast in bed. Lovely.
I'll be eating airmailed stuffing after class on Thursday. Sigh.
I've seen those Lucia dolls before but can’t remember where! If I do I tell you right away!
When I was little, all the girls in my class get to be Lucia on the 13th of December… That was a sight… Eleven small Lucia, and the parents with tears in their eyes. I’m Swedish and I LOVE the Lucia tradition and Carl Larsson! If you visit Sweden you MUST pay a visit to his and Karins lovely house in Sundborn, Dalarna! http://www.clg.se/
Kind regards
hummmlan
I'm about 1/8th swedish, but I studied in school and my mother grew up Lutheran in Minnesota so I've almost always loved Lucia. When I studied Swedish in college our teacher would have a holiday party for students and swedish friends. It was always so fun with wonderful things to eat and drink and at the end there would be a Lucia procession in swedish, followed by other swedish songs. I always loved those parties.
I grew up celebrating Lucia day, and I enjoyed it so much. I was the oldest girl, so I got to do the dressing up sometimes (often, it was my mother who remembered and did it). I've always felt a special connection to Lucia, and it brought me a certain thrill to do research on her origins and discover that she may have been based on the Roman goddess Juno Lucina, patroness of midwives, which is my future profession.
My parents' kitchen is decorated with Carl Larsson prints. I've always loved his style, the simplicity and home-iness of it.
ooooh thanks for reminding me about that, my daughter, Lucie was born on st. lucie day and i need to start that tradition for her, though she is french it would be a nice tradition to do for her!
I don't know where to find the Lucia dolls, but I know what to do about tablecloths. I was lucky enough to inherit a neat little setup in my basement. Someone had a length of PVC pipe--a pretty big width--hung from the ceiling. Oh, and it has holes drilled into the sides of it to allow for air flow. So when I wash a tablecloth, I can hang it up over the pipe and let it dry. Then, right before it is completely dry, I iron it with plenty of steam and starch and get lovely results! Oh, and a barstool to sit on while ironing all that fabric works wonders. :-)
I'm part Swedish and my elementary school was very multi-cultural, so we always celebrated it! It was so much fun to watch the girls walk in their gorgeous white dresses with candles in wreathes in their hair. And because I knew some Swedish then(its all gone now! thats what I get for not paying close attention) I could sing the song well.
I had a bunch of the little wooden dolls you talk about, but after my father passed away, I didn't get anything from the house, so their a wonderful memory now. Man, I wish I got those.
I was taken in by a display at Cost Plus recently with Glogg, gingersnaps, and the most adorable chocolate dala horses. So, I was unofficially going to celebrate St. Lucia Day, too...I'll let you wear the crown of candles : )
Ah...I'm Norwegian, but I love the Lucia celebration as well.
I buy Scandinavian things from Hemslojd (Swedish for "handicraft"). It's a Swedish shop in Lindsborg, Kansas. They have an online catalog with Lucia dolls and all sorts of wonderful things. They ship quickly , too. :-)
http://hemslojd.com/
I love St Lucia, and have fond memories of the song, the candles and the glow from Sunday morning church services. I went to a sister college - Texas Lutheran, and though it had more German influence than Swedish, I'm sure we shared many similarities. Thanks for a lovely blog - I check for updates daily. I love both the prose and the photographs!
I grew up in a very multicultural church, not really a church, but similar. Every year one of the girls from youth group was nominated to be Santa Lucia. And while we didn't carry breakfast, we did walk down the aisle with a wreath of real candles aglow on our heads, while the chorus sang the song. Then we would lead everyone out (candles still glowing) to the foyer for cookies and tea and carol singing. The pictures of the Santa Lucia coming down the aisle with the only light coming from her head are pretty amazing. It is hard to walk knowing you may light yourself on fire, and the hot wax definitely drips on your scalp, it hurts. But it was an honor to be able to do it two years, and then see my little sister do it too.
Alicia, on my blog I have a saint lucia unit. It is very hands on and mght have something for you. Love the table cloth !!! Clarice
I am part swedish, and at my school we celebrated Santa Lucia as well. One year, I was selected to be her! Because we celebrated during the day, we would turn off all of the lights, and Lucia's mother would be there to help her dress and light her wreath of candles for her head... step carefully! Then, carry the tray of buns (also made by the mother) and walk slowly to the song (sung in english for us) to give out those delicious buns to the whole school. It was a small school. I had forgetten about that until reading your post.
I love my postcards... thanks!
LOVE Carl Larsson. Nice suprise to see one of his works in your post today. And very cute table cloth your getting also!