Happy St. Lucy's Day. The Latin name Lucia shares a root (luc-) with the Latin word for light, lux. A number of traditions the incorporate symbolic meaning of St. Lucy as the bearer of light in the darkness of winter, her feast day being 13 December. Because some versions of her story relate that her eyes were removed, either by herself or by her persecutors, she is the patron saint of the blind. She is also the patron saint of glaziers and stained glass workers.
Her feast once coincided with the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year before calendar reforms, so her feast day has become a festival of light. This is particularly seen in Scandinavian countries, with their long dark winters. There, a young girl dresses in a white dress and wears a crown or wreath of candles on her head. It is said that to vividly celebrate St. Lucy's Day will help one live the long winter days with enough light. Enjoy St. Lucy's Day with John Donne's A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day, read by Accredited Lecturer Karin Fernald.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Our Societies support hundreds of local arts and heritage projects. Each day we highlight a grant given in 2021.
The art and design department of Broadwater School in Farncombe, Surrey has been awarded a grant from The Arts Society Guildford which will go towards exposing its students to the work of other artists by engaging an artist -in-residence to hold a workshop for their GCSE students.
All donations from the Artvent Calendar will go towards The Arts Society’s grant giving fund, which awards grants to help preserve our artistic heritage, support the skills of artists and makers, and improve access to the arts for all.
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Comments
The calendar is a lovely idea and I really look forward to it each morning now. Today was particularly good. I’d be interested to know who the reader was.
My Mother's name was LUCY so I particularly enjoyed today's Artvent calendar.