Holiday Memory

This is my American Girl doll Kirsten. We have been together for at least 20 years now, I can't remember exactly what Christmas she was given to me. Here she is wearing a Swedish holiday costume in honor of Santa Lucia day. I haven't pulled Kirsten out in a long time. As I was rearranging our room I came across her trunk and decided she needed to grace us with her holiday presence. Dressing her up I had to chuckle as I was vividly pulled backward in time to a holiday memory.
I love the story of Santa Lucia. According to legend Lucia was a medieval saint who carried food and drink to the hungry. Much later in history the early church made a saint out of her. Lucia day is celebrated all over Sweden in homes, schools and workplaces on December 13th. As far as I know all the other Scandinavian countries also celebrate Lucia. In each home, usually the eldest daughter, dresses in a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles. She and her sisters wake the family at dawn and serve them a breakfast of buns and gingerbread cookies, I think coffee too. I first heard about this when I got my Kirsten doll and Lucia outfit. I thought it was a beautiful and fun tradition.
I believe I was 8 or 10 when I was asked to bring my doll and dress up as Santa Lucia for a church Primary program. My mother made me a white flannel nightgown. We made a crown of candles. I donned red and white striped stockings, red ribbons, plaited hair, the whole works. I wasn't allowed to light the candles since we were in the church building.
It was Christmas shortly afterward. I decided I wanted to wake my family Christmas morning dressed as Santa Lucia. This time I would light the candles. I woke up bright and early to get all dressed up. I filled my serving tray with cups of hot chocolate, and I believe cinnamon rolls. Lit the 10 candles and began to walk around to wake my 7 other siblings. It was quite the elegant balancing walk knowing I had a ring of fire on my head. As I gently shook the last sister before I went to get my parents I began to feel really warm and to smell something funny. That's when my sister declared; "you're hair is on fire". It was hard not to panic and throw the burning wreath across the room as my sister began to blow out the candles and smother the fire on my hair.
I walked in to my parents room to wake them for Christmas morning with my hair still smoking and the hot chocolate cold.
That was the last time I ever dressed up as Santa Lucia.