Near the time of Christmas a very special day in Sweden is St. Lucia Day (December 13th). The celebration of St. Lucia Day goes back to Lucia a Christan virgin who was killed for her beliefs in the Fourth century.The way St. Lucia Day is celebrated today is before the sun comes up the youngest girl in each family wakes up and dresses in a white dress, red sash and a crown made of evergreens with candles lit on the crown (usually electric for safely). The girl wakes her parents and serves them breakfast of coffee and Lucia buns.Schools and town sometimes have there own celebration by having a parade each parade picks a girl to play Lucia. In the parade Lucia is followed by a "star boy" witch is a boy dressed in a pointed hat holding a star wand. Then on Christmas eve they have a big feast called smorgasbord with a Christmas ham. Also a lot of different sweet treats like rice pudding. Tradition is that someone will put a almond in one of the puddings and the person with the almond will have good lick for the following year.
