Page 24 - Santa Lucia

"If my eyes are what he wants, he shall have them."
Resolute she scratched her eyes out, laid them on a
dish and sent them to the prince.
By a miracle she got her sight back. Therefore she is
looked upon as the protector of the eye specialists.
It is told too about Lucia that she brought food to the
Christians, who were chased and had to live hiding in
dark, underground burial chambers the so-called
catacombs. In order to carry food with both her hands
she put a light in a garland, which she wore on her
head.
She was elected a saint in the 6'Th century, and the
headquarters for the Lucia cult became Napoli, where
her eyes for a long time were part of the relic
collection of the Catholic church.
The celebration of Saint Lucia started in 10'Th
century in France. Later it came to Germany and
Flandern. From there it came to the North and first
and foremost to Sweden.