It celebrates the life of a real saint, Lucia, who was known for her kindness and love. On December 13th, one of the shortest days of winter, girls in Sweden dress up as Santa Lucia wearing a white dress and a crown of candles .
Boys carry a candle and wear a kind of white pyjama.
They wear hats that are pointy with golden stars on them. In Sweden we do not wear candles anymore because before girls caught their hair on fire very often. Today we use modern candles with batteries in them . After lunch most schools close on Santa Lucia day around noon. It is a national holliday which comes on the 13th of December.