EMMIE BOESE
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One unique and large holiday event some in the area may not know about is the St. Lucia Festival in Lindsborg. The St. Lucia Festival is on Dec. 9 and festivities begin in town at 8:30 a.m. and end around 3 p.m.
Lindsborg Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Holly Lofton said the first public celebration of St. Lucia for Lindsborg was in 1962. Lofton describes the festival as something "truly remarkable" and has to be seen in person to get the "full experience."
"With our Swedish heritage, it is definitely something that we don't miss here," Lofton said. "We celebrate annually."
Lindsborg is known as Little Sweden U.S.A. Many of the population consists of those who are of Swedish descent. St. Lucia was an Italian Christian martyr. Lofton said the Swedish story is that during a time of famine, a woman in white with her head crowned with candles came to them on a bow of a ship with food that saved them from famine.
"If you are Swedish, the story goes a little bit farther," Lofton said. "Where as the oldest daughter dresses as Lucia and brings her family breakfast before they're up and so traditional might be saffron buns or things like that with coffee but you know for kids that were doing it on their own, the woman that was crowned as the first Lucia, here that we did publicly in the 1960s, she made rice krispies for her family so it depends on what the family does and what kids want to do but it's still something that's celebrated."
Lofton said festival attendees can come prepared with a full list of activities to do. Churches, the Lindsborg Community Library and local businesses all get involved. The Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers who are made up of high school students, plan and host the majority of the festival and draw a senior girl's name out of a hat to be Lucia. The fourth grade students of Lindsborg will also crown a Lucia and Star Boy.
"We have a girl who is crowned with a battery operated candle crown and then the high school Lucia is actually the original Lucia crown that was made locally by a metal smith in the 1960s," Lofton said. "And his daughter was the first Lucia to wear it and we still use that today so all kinds of just really beautiful imagery."
Lofton said even though not all of Lindsborg is of Swedish descent, the community host a St. Lucia celebration together because it helps enrich the town. She also said it's a way to remember the hard work of the people that helped progress Lindsborg into what it is today.
"I can tell you from my own experience, I don't have that Swedish heritage, and it's something I look forward to every year because it is just beautiful and yet it's a beautiful way to ring in the holiday season."
At 10:15 a.m. the Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers and fourth graders will perform downtown on N. Main St. The Swedish Folk Dancers and Lindsborg Folkdanslag will perform at Bethany Lutheran Church. The St. Lucia Service will follow at 3 p.m. with a reception afterwards.
In the evening on Dec. 9, Lindsborg will also host its Heritage Christmas from 5:30-8:30 p.m at the Lindsborg Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum.
The event will include live music at the Swedish Pavilion, kids crafts and sugar cookie decoration and coffee with Mayor Clark Shultz. Coffee with the mayor will take place from 6-7 p.m. during Heritage Christmas.
"You can get out of the cool weather and just go inside and really enjoy some wonderful music," Lofton said.
More information about the St. Lucia Festival and Heritage Christmas is available at visitlindsborg.com.
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