At the first cock-crow, between 1 and
4 a.m., the prettiest girl in the house used to go among the sleeping
folk, dressed in a white robe, a red sash, and a wire crown covered with
whortleberry-twigs and having nine lighted candles fastened in it. She
awakened the sleepers and regaled them with a sweet drink or with
coffee,[94] sang a special song, and was named "Lussi" or "Lussibruden"
(Lucy bride). When everyone was dressed, breakfast was taken, the room
being lighted by many candles. The domestic animals |222| were not
forgotten on this day, but were given special portions. A peculiar
feature of the Swedish custom is the presence of lights on Lussi's crown.
Lights indeed are the special mark of the festival; it was customary to
shoot and fish on St. Lucy's Day by torchlight, the parlours, as has been
said, were brilliantly illuminated in the early morning, in West Gothland
Lussi went round the village preceded by torchbearers, and in one parish
she was represented by a cow with a crown of lights on her head. In
schools the day was celebrated with illuminations.{51}

What is the explanation of this feast of lights? There is nothing in the
legend of the saint to account for it; her name, however, at once
suggests _lux_--light. It is possible, as Dr. Feilberg supposes, that the
name gave rise to the special use of lights among the Latin-learned monks
who brought Christianity to Sweden, and that the custom spread from them
to the common people. A peculiar fitness would be found in it because St.
Lucia's Day according to the Old Style was the shortest day of the year,
the turning-point of the sun's light.{52}

In Sicily also St. Lucia's festival is a feast of lights. After sunset on
the Eve a long procession of men, lads, and children, each flourishing a
thick bunch of long straws all afire, rushes wildly down the streets of
the mountain village of Montedoro, as if fleeing from some danger, and
shouting hoarsely. "The darkness of the night," says an eye-witness, "was
lighted up by this savage procession of dancing, flaming torches, whilst
bonfires in all the side streets gave the illusion that the whole village
was burning." At the end of the procession came the image of Santa Lucia,
holding a dish which contained her eyes.[95] In the midst of the _piazza_
a great mountain of straw had been prepared; on this everyone threw his
own burning torch, and the saint was placed in a spot from which she
could survey the vast bonfi