St. Lucia's Day

St. Lucia is a virgin and martyr who has been revered by Christians since the 5th century. Came from Siracausa one of the most distinguished families in the city. 

Lucia escorted her sick mother to Catania, to the tomb of St. Agota, about forty miles away to ask her healing. Her prays were heard and her mmother was healed. Agota who appeared in her dream offered her baptism.  
From this glorious day, Lucia declared herself as the bride of Jesus.

His abandoned fiancé could not agree with this decision so he reported her to Prince Pascasius because of her Christian faith. Then the Prince tried to force her for an idol worship, later he tried to shame her innocent in a brothel but with God’s help, he could not pull her away.
Prince then gave the order : ” pour her down with oil and pitch and then burn her” !
After all, the fire did not catch on Lucia, so her prisoners cut her throat but she did not die until her prayers was completed.

Since the name Lucia is derived from the Latin word Lux, it is no coincidence that we are talking about the illuminating St. Lucia.
The darkest time of the year is on Luca’s Day on 13th of December. In addition to St. Lucia who is revered in the Christian world, there is a damaging, deteriorating female figure in the bed on ancient beliefs, named Luca.

Luca’s chair  
Luca’s witch-like character is also associated with the pentagonal luca’s chair, which people began carving on that day. Because the Luca’s chair was made slowly due to its sophisticated technique, only one operation could be performed on day one hence the saying : ” It is made slowly as Luca’s chair ”.

The chairman took the chair with himself to the midnight mass on 24th of December, as h sat on the chair he saw who are the witches. After he recognized the witches he had to leave the church as fast as he could and sprinkle poppy seeds behind him to prevent his unveiled pursuer from following him. Home was a safe place from the witches but the chair had to be burnt.

Wheat planting is linked to Luca’s Day. On this day on 13th of December the housewife sprinkled wheat in a small bowl, which she watered until Christmas day, and the higher it turned, and the more green it was by then, the more fruit was predicted for the next year. They put candles in the bowl. The wheat’s green was meant to announce the fulfillment of Advent hope, the light to proclaim the of coming the Savior and wheat itself was the symbol of the living bread, Jesus.

Luca’s Day prediction
On Luca’s Day single girls made 12 notes with men’s name and each day one was thrown into the fire. The last piece of paper covered the man’s name who could be the fiancé.

sources:
https://korkep.sk/cikkek/kultura/2013/12/13/luca-napi-babonak-nepszokasok-es-hiedelmek/
https://csalad.mandiner.hu/cikk/20161213_luca_napi_magyar_nepszokasok
https://napocska.hu/december-13-luca-napi-varazslatok/
 pixabay