ROCHESTER — Glancing upward at the six flickering candles balanced in a crown on her head, Amber Morrill carefully marched across the hardwood floors of Swede Hall in Rochester.
As Saint Lucia, "Queen of Light," Morrill had big shoes to fill — so she wore socks.
"We're newbies," said the Tenino 18-year-old as she prepared to relive a 150-year-old tradition of hospitality and hope. She wore socks to help her glide across the floor without spilling hot wax on her head.
In a tradition begun by Swedes anxious about the longest night of the year, the eighth annual Saint Lucia Festival filled Swede Hall with light and fellowship Saturday evening.
Looking on from the audience was Olov Gardebring, who remembers helping his sister play the part of Lucia for their parents during his childhood in Sweden.
Gardebring helped introduce the festival to the more than 100 people who attended the event.
"With all the darkness at this time of year and all the troubles we face, this is now a moment when we bring in lights and enjoyment, especially for the children," he said in a Swedish lilt.
Gardebring, 84, and his wife Brita retired to Olympia 20 years ago, and helped establish Rochester's Saint Lucia Festival.
Brita died in 1998; Gardebring has set up a scholarship in her honor. The Swede Day Queen and her two princesses each received $100 from the Brita Gardebring Memorial Fund.
The Grand Mound-Rochester Citizens Group sponsors the Saint Lucia celebration, with dinner, dancing, and the "Sankta Lucia, Queen of Light" procession.
As Swede Day Queen from this summer, Morrill donned a white nightgown and crown to play Saint Lucia.
The two Swede Day Princesses, Kenzi Taylor and Julie Merriman, both 17 of Rochester, carried candles and walked behind her.
They were followed by young girls and boys carrying glowing stars and wearing peaked hats. A few young boys were dressed as "funny gnomes" and the traditionally mischievous gingerbread boy.
The group stood in front of the audience and sang Swedish songs. Morrill looked nervous and at times pained as, she said later, wax dripped onto her head. She donned a battery-operated crown for the boisterous dancing that followed.
One of the many in attendance, Loretta Homsher of Centralia, said this was her first time at the pageant. With her Swedish heritage she's wanted to come for a long time, she said.
"It brings tears to your eyes," she said.
The Swedish St. Lucia tradition began about 150 years ago, after making a curious trip north from early-Christian Italy.
By historical tradition St. Lucia was an Italian woman with a reputation for taking care of the poor. Her non-Christian husband resented this, and tried to have her burnt at the stake in 304 A.D.
"The fire didn't touch her," said Gardebring. Finally Lucia was beheaded.
During a drought and famine in Sweden about 1850, a young woman dressed in white and surrounded by a glow appeared to feed the people, according to legend.
Since then Swedish daughters would dress in white and don a crown of candles to bring cookies and coffee to their parents on Dec. 13. Under the old calendar that was the longest night of the year, with only seven hours of daylight.
Gardebring said when he was a child his parents usually got up early, but "they knew enough to stay in bed" — Lucia was supposed to be a surprise.
His sister played Lucia, and he helped by donning a tall hat and following her as she surprised their parents with treats.
The annual Queen of Light celebration is a fund-raiser for the Grand Mound-Rochester Citizens' Group. Pat Schoelkopf, president of that organization, calls the St. Lucia celebration "a big Christmas party."
She was in the back of the spacious Swede Hall helping prepare dinner with her son and grandson starting early Saturday afternoon.
Dinner included, of course, Swedish meatballs, along with pork roast, ham, scalloped potatoes, pickled beets, gingerbread cookies and rice pudding. Traditional blackberry punch was provided to slake the thirst.
The fiddles, flute, accordion and guitar of the band Nordic Exposure provided traditional Scandinavian music intermixed with Jingle Bells and other Christmas tunes.
Lisa Sergienko, of Rochester, coordinates the Swede Day celebration each summer and is in charge of training the queen and her princesses in Swedish traditions and etiquette.
Sergienko is not Swedish herself but was adopted by a Swedish family and as an "honorary Swede" she played Saint Lucia at Centralia's Immanuel Lutheran Church in 1980. She remembers the difficulties of balancing a crown of flame.
"I had to negotiate a set of stairs, present a tray of cookies and not set my hair on fire," she said.
Or, as Gardebring's daughter Maria White said, "you have never walked so tall in your life as when you wear the crown of candles."
Brian Mittge covers politics, the environment and Lewis County government for The Chronicle. He may be reached by telephoning 807-8237.
