Cultura Italiana: Santa Lucia

St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, was born in Syracuse, Sicily, towards the end of the third century AD, to a wealthy and noble family. As a result of her faith and her mother’s recovery, she decided to distribute her entire dowry to the poor and consecrate herself to God. Because of her unwavering faith, she was brutally murdered on Dec. 13, 304, during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian. The feast of St. Lucy is a well-known holiday in countries of Catholic belief. The saint depicted as a girl of rare beauty with blue eyes, is one of the most beloved and venerated saints as the patron saint of eyes and sight. Lucia comes from the Latin word lux and means light. So many people are named after her. Contained in the name is a symbolic reference to light and as a guide on the spiritual path to the Nativity of Jesus and the truth.