Saint Lucia
Kylie & Terry Lofdahl and Hensli Lofdahl
Jennifer Dauer and Katelyn Reeves
Saint Lucia is always celebrated in Lindsborg on the second Saturday in December, even though the actual Saint Lucia Day is December 13th.
LSFD sponsors this festival and we provide a bake sale that we donate all proceeds from to TACOL, in the true Lucia spirit of helping those less fortunate. We perform downtown in the morning, at Bethany Lutheran Church in the afternoon and assist with the 4th grade Lucia ceremony as well as our own LSFD Lucia ceremony that afternoon.
Organizational documents needed each year:
Script and order of service for Saint Lucia
To Do list for Saint Lucia for Directors
Weeks or up to a month before:
Order from Whites:
30 boxes of Anna’s Ginger Cookies
38 bottles of Apple Cider
500 cups
400 napkins
A few days before:
Pick up 4 plastic tubs from LSFD storage shed
Contents of these 4 tubs include: picture frames for Lucia pictures to place at ceremony, Swedish metal pitchers (and lids) for serving cider, wooden donation box, small decorative table runners, tray with handles, platters for cookies, lighters for candles & other Christmas decor that may or may not be used
(Plan to wash all metal Swedish pitchers the night before or early morning at BLC)
Get pictures of St Lucia from Director
Set up at BLC:
Early morning or night before
Get collection baskets from BLC and place around church
Place Collection basket at the main entrance of church (may need to find small white table from room behind altar)
Place a collection basket in the foyer area between the west side entrance and church office.
Place Lucia’s picture on the table with candles/greenery inside the doorway between the south wing of sanctuary and foyer area but this picture could be placed in a visible location if this table is not available.
At the landing/foyer, set up a 6ft table (see pictures)
(get table from BLC Martin Luther Room or room east of Kitchen)
white linen from the BLC kitchen
2 square swedish linens on top (LSFD tub)
Picture of Lucia (frame from LSFD tub)
Wooden collection container with lid (LSFD tub)
May bring or borrow Swedish center piece
Set up 4ft table to remain inside the foyer during reception for holding extra cookies, napkins, and cups. Stock up as time permits.
Prepare small white square table (in sanctuary right of alter)for Lucia and Star Boy to serve parents from
Cover small square table with red square cloth (hearts around the perimeter of cloth that is in LSFD tub mentioned above)
Morning of Service:
Place Napkins, styrofoam cups, cookies on small tray (borrow from church (get # of cookies needed beforehand from director),
Place a Swedish pitcher of warm cider approx.five minutes before service to ensure warm temperature.
Service downtown by LSFD Senior girls & Director:
The 4th graders and LSFD will process from downtown to BLC between 10:30-10:45. The fiddlers will play in the sanctuary at 11a. The senior LSFD members get cookie trays and Swedish pitchers of hot cider to serve downtown.
Send a few round platters with cookies and rectangle tray with handles with cups, napkins and 2-3 pitchers of hot cider.
Refill cookie platters once returned in time for 4th grade reception.
4th Grade Performance:
Starts at 11:30 & usually last 30 minutes; reception after to be held outside foyer.
10:00 arrive at church and heat cider
Use BLC Large coffee pots and/or pots on stove. Takes at least 30 minutes to heat, can turn off if the temperature is too hot.
Assemble cookie trays & tray inside sanctuary mentioned above
Grab 2 small trash cans for placement near reception table outside
Light all candelabras in the pews, but not candles in windows
Light altar candles according to Lent
At 11:15 or 15 minutes before the service is expected to end, begin filling pots with hot cider
Take 6ft table from foyer outside and begin filling cups and laying out cookies
Need at least 3-4 parent volunteers to be runners ( in addition to those on the Lucia committee)
After service snuff candles
Collect money from collection baskets
Bring table back inside
Refill cookie trays for afternoon service
Fill up coffee pots and pots on stove with cider to heat
Swedish Dancer Performance:
LSFD perform outside on west side of BLC at 1:30/1:45pm. Girls modify costume to perform in Serik, gold tie and candle.
1:30 Start heating cider
Restock the square table inside sanctuary from which Lucia and Star Boy serve
Relight all candelabres, altar candles AND window candles (takes up to 20 minutes depending on how many)
When ensemble starts performing start filling Swedish pots with hot cider
Take table outside and begin filling cups and laying out cookies
Need at least 3-4 parent volunteers to be runners (this is in addition to those on the committee)
May need to add cider to heat in pots if all is used. May need to restock cookie trays.
After both services
Clean up:
After service the candles need to be snuffed
Collect money from collection baskets
Bring table back inside
Wash all Swedish pots, dry very well and place napkin inside to absorb any moisture. Repack in tubs. Wash and repack all platters.
Wash all church used pots/equipment.
Repack all table runners and wooden candle donation box.
St Lucia pictures to St Lucia, pack frames.
Take out all trash, vacuum and pick up in church and kitchen as needed