By SALINA POST
LINDSBORG - A longstanding Lindsborg tradition is listed among the top Kansas holiday events.
The town's St. Lucia festival on Dec. 11 is listed at No. 7 on travelks.com's Top Kansas Events for the Holidays.
In a blog post on travelks.com, Jordan Roemerman wrote, "You'll love the holiday season in Kansas! Communities around the state come together and put on incredible light displays and events to celebrate our festive holidays. While these events may look a little bit different in 2021, joining in on the festivities is a perfect way to 'wrap up' another wild year."
Roemerman then goes on to tell about 11 holiday events across the state, including the Lindsborg St. Lucia festival at No. 7. To read about all of the events listed in the blog post, click here.
St. Lucia tradition
The Lindsborg Convention & Visitors Bureau explained the tradition of St. Lucia thusly:
The story of Lucia begins in Scandinavia, with Sweden amidst a terrible famine. In the darkness and misery of that winter, Lucia, shining with light, was said to have steered a ship filled with food across the waters of Lake Vänern to shore in the province of Värmland. Thus, the people of Sweden were saved from starvation. The symbolism of Lucia, whose name means light, carried generations of Swedes though the darkest night of winter renewing hope for the return of the sun and warmer days to come.
Lucia wears a white gown representing purity with a red sash (a symbol of her martyrdom) and a crown of lingonberry branches with seven lit candles, the greenery representing new life and the candles lighting her way on the darkest night of the year.
Celebrations of Swedish heritage have been handed down for nearly one hundred years. The eldest daughter in the family would bring a tray of coffee and Swedish goodies around to her still sleeping family, dressed in her white robes with a white sash and a crown of lit candles upon her head, a depiction of the original Saint Lucia, credited with saving Sweden from famine centuries ago.
The scheduled for this year's St. Lucia Festivities in Lindsborg, as provided by the Lindsborg Convention & Visitors Bureau, is as follows.
