Quietly， on the morning of Dec. 13， a ceremony will be held in the homes of many local families in Sweden and other Scandinavian1) countries. The day is St. Lucia's Day. It commemorates2) the life of Saint Lucia， who is also known as Saint Lucy (which is of Latin origin and means \"light\")， and signals the beginning of the Swedish Christmas season.

12月13日這天清晨，瑞典和其他斯堪的納維亞諸國的許多家庭都會靜靜地舉行一個慶祝儀式。這天便是圣露西婭節(jié)，用以紀念圣露西婭——大家也叫她圣女露西(“l(fā)ucy”一詞源于拉丁文，意思是“光明”)。這一天同時還標志著瑞典圣誕季的開始。

Saint Lucia's Story

There are several legends about the real Saint Lucia. One of the most common is that she was born of wealthy， noble parents about 283 AD in Syracuse， Italy. Her father died when she was very young. Like a miracle， a pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Agatha3) healed her ill mother. So Lucia and her mother secretly embraced4) Christianity， forbidden at that time.

Lucia would secretly bring food to the persecuted5) Christians， who lived in hiding in the Catacombs6) under the city. She would wear candles on her head so she had both her hands free to carry things. She even gave one poor Christian family her entire dowry7). This so angered her betrothed8) husband that he reported Lucia to authorities. Lucia was burned to death. Later she was venerated9) as a saint， and the day of her death， Dec. 13， was named Saint Lucia's Day.

There are more stories about St. Lucia， in each of which she stands as a symbol of light and hope to all mankind.

Why Does Sweden Celebrate St. Lucia's Day?

It is weird10) that Sweden celebrates St. Lucia's Day since Saint Lucia was not Swedish but Italian. So how did an Italian girl-turned-saint come to be honored in Sweden?

The day had no real significance for centuries. As Christianity spread through Europe and into Scandinavia， though， the pagan11) celebration of Winter Solstice12) had to be replaced with a Christian celebration. Winter solstice happened to fall on Dec. 13 under the old Julian calendar13)， so Saint Lucia was the natural choice.

The day was cemented14) when a terrible famine15) came to the Province of Varmland in Sweden during the Middle Ages. The poor villagers were starving to death. But on Dec. 13 of that year a large white ship was seen coming through the night across Lake Vanern， with a beautiful young woman standing on the bow16). She was wearing a brilliant white gown， and a ring of light encircled her head. The country people boarded the ship to find food， clothing and supplies. They quickly unloaded it， and as they carried the last baskets away the people looked back to see that the ship was no longer there.

People felt in their hearts that it was a gift from Saint Lucia， and as the story spread， celebrations of Saint Lucia's Day began.

How Do the Swedish Celebrate St. Lucia's Day?

The day goes something like this: While the parents feign17) sleep in bed， the children are busy in the kitchen， preparing coffee and heating saffron18)-flavored Saint Lucia coffeecake or buns19).

Traditionally， the oldest daughter in the family plays Saint Lucia， the Queen of Light. She dresses in a long white gown with red sash20) and wears a crown of candles and lingonberry21) leaves. (These days the candles are usually battery-powered.) Other children are included in the celebration， too. Younger sisters dress as maidens， wearing white robes with a crown of silver tinsel22)， and each holds a single lighted candle. The boys of the family are called Star Boys. They wear white robes as well， and wear cone-shaped hats decorated with stars. In homes where there are no daughters， a Saint Lucia is \"borrowed\" from friends or relatives.

When everything is ready， the coffee is poured， the Lucia buns are placed on a tray， and the breakfast procession23) slowly begins toward the parents' bedroom. The children sing a traditional song: \"Now the light is carried forth， proud on its crown; in every house， and every home， the song shall ring.\"

Besides the ceremony at home， Lucia parades and processions are held all over Sweden in schools， hospitals and offices. By the end of the day， the general population is fairly wired24) on Lucia coffee and sweet saffron-flavored buns.

圣露西婭的傳說

有關圣露西婭真實原型的傳說有好幾個。流傳最廣的一個是這樣的:公元283年，露西婭出生于意大利錫拉庫扎一個富有的貴族家庭。她的父親在她年幼時就過世了。疾病纏身的母親在去圣女阿加莎墓地朝圣后，竟奇跡般地痊愈了。由此，露西婭母女倆開始暗中信奉當時嚴令禁止的基督教。

露西婭會悄悄地給受迫害的基督徒們送去食物。由于他們避居在城里的基督教徒地下墓地里，于是露西婭就把蠟燭頂在頭上，以騰出雙手來拿東西。她甚至把自己的全部嫁妝都送給了一個貧困的基督徒家庭。這一做法讓她的未婚夫大為惱火，他向當局告發(fā)了露西婭，露西婭被處以火刑。后來，她被尊奉為圣女，而她殉道的日子，12月13日，則被命名為圣露西婭節(jié)。

還有很多關于圣露西婭的傳說，在每個有關她的傳說中，她都是人們心目中光明和希望的化身。

為什么瑞典人會過圣露西婭節(jié)?

瑞典人慶祝圣露西婭節(jié)很是令人感到奇怪，因為圣露西婭是意大利人而非瑞典人。為何這樣一位由意大利女孩轉(zhuǎn)化而來的圣人會在瑞典如此受尊敬呢?

這一節(jié)日一連幾個世紀都沒有得到過太多重視。然而，當基督教在歐洲不斷傳播并進入斯堪的納維亞地區(qū)后，教會必須用一個基督教的節(jié)日取代異教徒過的冬至日。由于冬至日剛好是在舊的羅馬儒略歷的12月13日，于是圣露西婭節(jié)就成了自然的選擇。

這個節(jié)日的地位在中世紀得到了鞏固。當時，瑞典瓦姆蘭省遭受了一場可怕的饑荒，貧窮的村民們餓得奄奄一息。但就在那年的12月13日，人們看到一艘白色的大船在夜色中駛過維納恩湖，船頭站著一位美麗的年輕女子。她身穿一襲明亮的白色長袍，頭上籠罩著一圈光環(huán)。村民們上船后發(fā)現(xiàn)了食品、衣物和生活用品。他們迅速把這些東西卸下了船，可他們搬下最后一批物品再回頭望去時，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)那艘船不見了蹤影。

人們認定這是圣露西婭送來的禮物，于是隨著這個故事的傳開，人們開始舉行各種各樣的活動慶祝圣露西婭節(jié)。

瑞典人如何慶祝圣露西婭節(jié)?

這個節(jié)日是這樣慶祝的。大人們躺在床上佯睡，孩子們則在廚房里忙著準備咖啡，加熱藏紅花口味的圣露西婭咖啡蛋糕或小圓面包。

依照傳統(tǒng)，家中的長女要裝扮成“光明女神”圣露西婭的樣子。她身穿一件白色長袍，腰系紅色緞帶，頭戴一頂用蠟燭和越橘葉裝點而成的花冠。(如今這些蠟燭通常都靠電池點亮。)家里的其他孩子同樣會參與慶祝儀式。妹妹們一身少女裝束，身穿白袍，頭戴銀箔制成的王冠，每人手持一支點亮的蠟燭。家中的男孩兒被稱作“星星男孩”。他們也身著白袍，頭戴裝飾有星星的尖頂帽。沒有女兒的那些人家則會從親戚朋友那兒“借”來一位“圣露西婭”。

當一切就緒，孩子們倒好咖啡，把圣露西婭面包放進托盤，送早餐的隊伍就開始向父母的房間緩緩行進。孩子們會唱一首傳統(tǒng)歌謠:“光明在向前傳送，王冠上閃爍著榮耀;每座房屋、每個家庭，都會唱響這首歌。”

除了家庭的慶祝儀式之外，瑞典全國各地的學校、醫(yī)院和辦公場所都會舉行圣露西婭節(jié)的慶祝游行。當這一天結束時，人們都因為享用了圣露西婭咖啡和香甜的藏紅花口味面包而變得極為興奮。

Vocabulary

1.Scandinavian [7skAndI5neIvjEn] adj. 斯堪的納維亞的;斯堪的納維亞是北歐的一個地區(qū)，包括挪威、瑞典和丹麥，有時還包括冰島、法羅群島和芬蘭。

2.commemorate [kE5memEreIt] vt. 紀念

3.Saint Agatha: 圣阿加莎。她是基督教初期四大殉道童貞圣女之一，出身西西里的名門，自幼立志守貞。地方官垂涎她的姿色，竭力追求，遭她嚴詞拒絕。地方官惱羞成怒，將她逮捕下獄，威嚇利誘，但她始終不屈。最后上帝應她乞求，在她身受酷刑時帶走了她的靈魂。每年的2月5日是圣阿加莎的圣徒日。

4.embrace [Im5breIs] vt. 信奉

5.persecute [5p\\:sIkju:t] vt. 虐待，殘害;迫害

6.the Catacombs: (羅馬早期)基督教徒地下墓地;catacomb

[5kAtEkEum] n. [常作~s] (尤指由縱橫走道和若干房室構成的)地下墓地

7.dowry [5dauErI] n. 嫁妝

8.betrothed [bI5trEJTd] adj. 已訂婚的

9.venerate [5venEreIt] vt. 敬重，崇敬

10.weird [wIEd] adj. 奇怪的，奇特的;不可思議的

11.pagan [5peI^En] adj. 異教徒的;多神教徒的;無宗教信仰者的

12.Winter Solstice: 冬至(二十四節(jié)日之一)，一年中白天最短的一天

13.Julian calendar: 【天】儒略歷(古羅馬統(tǒng)帥尤利烏斯·愷撒開始采用的歷法);一年有12個月，365日，每四年為一閏年，有366日。

14.cement [sI5ment] vt. 鞏固，使團結

15.famine [5fAmIn] n. 饑荒

16.bow [bau] n. 船頭

17.feign [feIn] vt. 假裝，冒充，佯作

18.saffron [5sAfrEn] n. 干藏紅花柱頭(用于食品加色和調(diào)味等)

19.bun [bQn] n. 小圓(果子)面包;小圓糕點

20.sash [sAF] n. (婦女、兒童的)腰帶，彩帶

21.lingonberry [5lIN^EnbErI] n. 【植】越橘，瑞典人很喜歡吃的一種漿果。

22.tinsel [5tInsEl] n. (閃光的)金屬箔;金屬絲，金屬線

23.procession [prEu5seFEn] n. (人、車、船等的)列隊行進

24.wired [5waIEd] adj. 極其興奮的