Les mirades de Santa Llúcia

The looks of Santa Lucia

Abstract

The fest of Saint Lucy has brought together over the centuries a set of rich and diverse customs of popular origin, that have little to do with the Christian celebration. In this article we analyse these traditions according to geography and symbolic typology to grasp their origin. We are faced with different types of rituals corresponding to solstice celebrations, rites of passage, fertility rituals and
ceremonies of beginning annual cycle. The characteristics of the Christian saint and the celebration have acted as a unifier of all these customs that found on Saint Lucy’ day a space where to express.