rjvrtiska's review
3.0
We’re Americans who immigrated to Sweden, so we have the opposite experience of the character, Lucy in the book. I was introduced to Sweden’s St. Lucia traditions through a report in 7th grade, based mostly on the American Girl Kirsten book, which is referenced in this book’s appendix.
The narrative of an American girl recreating the Lucia traditions of her Swedish mother are sweet, but don’t reflect the current Swedish Lucia celebrations (mostly concerts performed in schools and churches).
The language of being a “Lucia bride” is especially off-putting in the current Swedish setting because Lucia is specifically referenced in awareness campaigns against child marriage, pointing out that girls young enough to represent Lucia are too young to be considered marriageable.
Swedes are generally atheists nowadays, so it’s rare to find one who knows anything about the saint’s martyrdom. The little religious history I have heard related mentions that St. Lucia also had her eyes removed or pierced, explaining the raisins in the middle of the Lucia bun swirls.
This book is obviously focused on the (Christian) religious aspects of the holiday, as celebrated in the US. A book with a wider perspective for an adult audience would include the pagan norse solstice religious practices that were woven into this celebration of a Catholic saint. There’s also no mention of the Lucia celebrations in southern Europe.
The narrative of an American girl recreating the Lucia traditions of her Swedish mother are sweet, but don’t reflect the current Swedish Lucia celebrations (mostly concerts performed in schools and churches).
The language of being a “Lucia bride” is especially off-putting in the current Swedish setting because Lucia is specifically referenced in awareness campaigns against child marriage, pointing out that girls young enough to represent Lucia are too young to be considered marriageable.
Swedes are generally atheists nowadays, so it’s rare to find one who knows anything about the saint’s martyrdom. The little religious history I have heard related mentions that St. Lucia also had her eyes removed or pierced, explaining the raisins in the middle of the Lucia bun swirls.
This book is obviously focused on the (Christian) religious aspects of the holiday, as celebrated in the US. A book with a wider perspective for an adult audience would include the pagan norse solstice religious practices that were woven into this celebration of a Catholic saint. There’s also no mention of the Lucia celebrations in southern Europe.
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