Santa Lucia

Better late than never. We finally decorated our gingerbread cookies tonight for Family Home Evening. We didn't get the dough made the day after Thanksgiving like we usually do (I don't know why I'm saying "we" since it's Erik who makes it). We were out of Karo Syrup, which we then kept forgetting to pick up every time we went to the store. Anyhow, life just got crazy. What's new? So, Santa Lucia was on Saturday, the 13th, but we this year will be celebrating it on the 17th. Yes, I know, technically we could do it tomorrow since the gingerbread cookies are done, but . . . it seems that someone (in her endless trips to the grocery store) has forgotten to buy any raisins (she's also the one who ate them all with her Grape-nuts), and she refuses to make saffron buns without raisins. The kids are greatly understanding over the whole mishap, and are saying things like, "Ya great! We'll probably miss Christmas this year too!" So sorry. We're trying our hardest to be perfect, but sometimes we just have to settle for human. Being the sweet husband that he is, Erik assured me the other day that it would be okay if we didn't celebrate Santa Lucia on the actual day, and then knowing that I would feel guilty that I hadn't made more of an effort, said, "And it's not your fault; it's mine. I didn't get the cookies done this year." I started to feel slightly guilty that maybe I should stay up late to make saffron buns, and just skip the cookies, but then I decided to take Erik at his word. I'm glad I did. Besides, Rebekah, James, Jalen Andrew, and I went with Joseph into Ms. Deignan's class on the 12th, and told them all about Santa Lucia, with the kids modeling their costumes. So, in a small way, we celebrated it. The 3rd graders have been learning about Christmas customs all over the world, and so it was really fun to go in and talk to the kids about our custom. The funniest part was when Justin raised his hand, and I asked him if he had a question. His answer was, "No, not really a question. It's more like a statement . . . no, I think it's a command statement." I encouraged him to go on, and then he asked, "When you're all done with Santa Lucia, can I have one of the leftover saffron buns?" I answered, "Now, remember, I told you that most people don't like them, because they taste a little weird to them. And so, we're usually really nice people and share what we have. . . but we do not ever share our saffron buns!" There is nothing worse than to see someone, quite unaware of how much a delicacy saffron buns are to us Swedes, throw it away. Joseph, I think, enjoyed most, teaching the kids how to put gingersnaps on their palm, and then pressing the cookie with one finger, try to break the cookie into 3 pieces. If you get 3 pieces, it means you'll have good luck. Try it, if you want a little Swedish tradition to add to your holidays (Anna's gingersnaps are sold in the cookie isle at most grocery stores). And as I told the kids, "If you break it into 3, you have good luck, but if you break it into 2 or 4 pieces, it means . . . pass me another gingersnap, I need to try again!"