The Feast of Saint Lucia (or Lucy) was once considered an evil day. According to folk tradition the night of December 13 is haunted by witches and other creatures equipped with magic power who people have to hide from. In the past, the heads of animals were rubbed with garlic and a cross was painted on the barn’s front door because it was believed that the animals were not safe from these evil creatures either. People dispersed tobacco in front of their gates and were eating garlic, hoping the odour would dispel approaching ghosts. Brooms are usually kept hidden so that witches can’t fly them. In the past, it was forbidden to weave, bake, wash on this day, and it was not advisable to lend money either, because the things requested could fall into the hands of witches.
Part of the Lucia’s Day tradition was making the Lucia’s chair. This three-legged chair was started to be carved on the 13th. While working a little on it every day, it had to be ready for Christmas. It is believed that whoever stands on the chair will catch a glimpse of witches.
If a male person entered the house as first visitor on Lucia’s morning, it was believed that a bull would be born, and if the first visitor was a woman, it meant a heifer.
In some houses it was a tradition to bake scones for every member of the family and hide a coin in one of them. The person who would bite into the coin was believed to have luck.
For Lucia's day, girls cooked 12 dumplings with male names hidden in each. The dumplings were placed in hot water, and the one which first floated to the surface was believed to contain the name of their future husband. In modern times, girls wrote 12 male names on small pieces of paper and threw one into the fire every day. There was only one note left for Christmas Day with the name of their future husband.
Lucia's day also supported weather forecast. The twelve days from the day of Lucia were observed carefully, each day marking a month. It was believed that in the twelve months of the following year the weather would be expected as it was from Lucia to the day of Adam and Eve.
