Happy St. Lucy's Day!

This year we ate the most delicious butter cookies and lit a tree in the front yard while singing in English the tune my mother sang each year in Swedish:

Natten går tunga fjät
rund gård och stuva,
kring jord, som sol förlät,
skuggorna ruva.
Då i vårt mörka hus;
stiger med tända ljus,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.

which translates as:

Santa Lucia,
Thy light is glowing,
through darkest winter night,
comfort bestowing.
Dreams float on dreams tonight;
comes then the Morning Light-
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

In Italy, this would be a song the Gondoliers would perform. Check out the above link to last year's posting which includes many links about this special day.