Christmas in the Italian Language: The Saint of Light and Sight

 

La Festa di Santa Lucia (December 13) 

The Feast of San Lucia

In the dark of December parts of Italy light up to celebrate a saint whose name derives from the Latin lux or lucis for light (luce in Italian). 

Lucia was a young girl who lived in Syracuse on the island of Sicily in the third century. According to various legends, this saintly virgin would wear a wreath of candles as she carried food to Christians hiding in underground tunnels. When a suitor claimed to be captivated by her eyes, Lucia plucked them out and had them sent to him on a platter. (In another version, she was blinded and miraculously cured.) 

Denounced as a Christian, Lucia was ordered to work in a brothel by Roman authorities. She refused to go, and nothing—not even a fire set under her feet—could get her to budge. One of her persecutors ultimately killed her by stabbing her in the throat. 

The patron saint of sight, Lucia is often portrayed holding a plate with a pair of eyes on it. As a way of tasting the enlightenment St. Lucia brings, Italians eat “gli occhi di Santa Lucia” (the eyes of St. Lucia) usually made from bread or biscotti. The same phrase also refers to shells shaped like an eye that bring good luck if found on a beach.    

St. Lucia gained greater fame in 1582, when famine struck Syracuse. On December 13 a boat filled with grain appeared in the harbor. Rather than processing the grain into flour, the starving people simply boiled and ate it. 

Sicilians honor the memory of St. Lucia by lighting bonfires and abstaining from anything made of wheat flour on December 13. They traditionally prepare cuccia (which rhymes with Lucia), a dessert made of whole wheat berries, cooked in water and mixed with sweetened ricotta flavored with candied orange bits and shaved chocolate. 

Missionaries and mariners carried the legend ot Santa Lucia to Sweden, where she is credited with again saving a town from famine by sending a boat filled with food. At its helm was a woman dressed in white with a glow above her head. 

According to tradition, in some parts of northeastern Italy, including the cities of Bergamo, Cremona, and Verona, St. Lucia rides a flying donkey (asino volante) to bring gifts (regali) to good children and coal (carbone) to bad ones. To make sure she stops, youngsters leave out a snack for Lucia and carrots and hay for her donkey. However, they are warned never to try to catch a glimpse of her.If they do, she may throw ashes (cenere) in their eyes and temporarily blind them.

The phrase “Santa Lucia” is famous for a different reason in Italy —as a traditional Neapolitan song written in praise of the picturesque waterfront district, Borgo Santa Lucia on the Bay of Naples. In 1849 Santa Lucia became the first Neapolitan song to be given Italian lyrics and sung as a barcarola (gondolier's song) in the early stages of the Risorgimento, the fight for the unification of Italy. 

Enrico Caruso, the great Neapolitan opera singer, recorded the most famous 20th-century version, but everyone from Elvis Presley (in his 1965 album Elvis for Everyone) to Luciano Pavarotti has sung this iconic tune. 

Here are the lyrics to the opening verses in Italian and English: 

Italian 

Sul mare luccica 

L'astro d'argento

Placida e' l'onda 

Prospero e' il vento 

Venite all'agile 

Barchetta mia 

Santa Lucia 

Santa Lucia... 

English 

Over the sea 

shines a silver star. 

Placid is the wave. 

Fair is the wind. 

Come to 

my swift little boat, 

Santa Lucia, 

Santa Lucia. 

Click below to hear this lovely tune and see a very young Elvis in uniform.

Comments

[Lesley Brennan]

Cara Dianne
I always look forward to receiving your blog which I discovered after reading "La Bella Lingua" .Thank you for your enthusiasm for all things italian and the information and music that you share with us.
I had always puzzled about the pronunciation of 'Lucia" that emphasizes the "i" as in the song when I thought it should be the soft "c" sound that is indicated by adding the "i" but not sounding it as in "ciao". Thank you for clearing the confusion with your note that it rhymes with "cuccia".
Tanti auguri per natale e felice anno nuovo.
Lesley

[Melissa]

Ciao Dianne! I have always been fascinated by Santa Lucia. I remember being mesmerized by her story the very first time I heard it in Art History 101 back at Knox College! Grazie per aver condiviso la sua storia di nuovo! A presto! Buona festa!

[Salvatore Prisco]

Dianne,

Please understand, I loved the post on Santa Lucia.
Lucia was my grandmother's name and is very dear to
me. Thanks so much for the posting.
Salvatore

[dianne]

Thanks for all your comments. Salvatore, you're right. I should have translated San Lucia into St. Lucy. It just doesn't have the same melodic sound!

[Lisa Chiodo]

When we returned from Italy to Australia we took our little boy then five to the beach at Christmas, he played on the sand happily and came over to us with a bucket filled with identical sea shells all like the "eyes" of Saint Lucia... he had wandered the beach and only picked up these ones...

-Lisa

[Ed Iannuccilli]

Thank you. This is wonderful and beautifully written.

[Jann Huizenga]

So interesting! I didn't know about Saint Lucy of Siracusa, but she reminds me a little of Saint Agatha of Catania (just up the coast from Siracusa), who carries her breasts on a platter (they were ordered to be cut off by the Roman governor of Sicily in the 3rd century because she spurned him).

[LindyLouMac]

One of my readers suggested that I should have done a post about this today, so I will direct her here Dianne, thankyou very interesting.

[Salvatore Prisco]

Why is "la Festa di Santa Lucia" translated as
"the feast of San Lucia" and not "the feast of Saint
Lucy"? It seems to be translated from Italian to
"Spanglish" and not English.

[Mirella]

Beautiful post and a lovely video of the song Santa Lucia. It is so very beautiful.

[dianne]

Lucy, thanks. Let me know when the post is up and I'll link to it too. Buon onomastico!

[dianne]

Thank you so much. I'd love either to clone or adopt you. I appreciate your help in making the world a little more Italian. Viva l'italiano! Buone feste!

[Crystallyn]

Dianne, as someone who is working hard to learn Italian, I really love reading your blog. I got the bug when I was researching a book on ancient Rome and now I'm obsessed with all things Italian! We visit for the first time in March.

And oh, your book! It was such a wonderful, accessible and fascinating read. I recommend it all the time to to others I meet that are learning Italian. One of our Christmas traditions is to do a holiday letter but instead of talking about our family, my husband does wine recommends and I give my book recommends. Your book made the list this year!

Grazie and Buone Feste!

[Lucy]

Great post! I will be posting soimething on Dec. 13th as well because it's my name day! I'll be sure to link you:) Thanks