I was eating St Lucia bread in Chat during SS someone asked for the recipe so here it is........
Saint Lucia Bread
1 pk yeast
1/4 c warm water
1/4 shortening
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c orange marmalade
1 c milk scalded
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/4- 4c flour
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c dried cranberries

1)Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2)In a large bowl combine shortening and sugar. Pour hot milk over mixture and stir. Cool to lukewarm. Add 1 cup flour and beat well. Then beat in the egg and yeast/water mixture and orange marmalade.
3)Gradually add remaining flour to form dough, add raisins and cranberries
4)On a floured board dump dough. Kneed until smooth and elastic.
5) Put dough back in bowl and coat with oil. Cover let it rise about 2 hours
6) Punch down dough and divide into 3 equal pieces. Braid the dough and put the braid into a circle. Put braid onto an oil coated cookie sheet. Cover and let rise again for about an hour or until double.
7) heat oven to 370
8) bake about 40 minutes until golden brown.
9) cool on wire rack then frost

Frosting
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp water.
Mix all together. It it is too thick to spread add water a drop at a time. It is is too think add more powdered sugar a tablespoon and a time.
Drizzles over bread.

my grands always want to make bread, I will let them try this recipe :D:D:D

No, what is the St Lucia story???

Saint Lucia or Saint Lucy is the patron Saint of the blind or eye sight. The meaning of the name Lucia/Lucy is light. Her feast day is Dec 13. She is shown in pictures with a plate in her hand and on the plate are eye balls. The stories told by the monks who brought christianity to Sweden was as follows............
St Lucy was martyred in 304 AD. St Lucia would secretly bring food to the persecuted christians in Rome who were in hiding under the city in catacombs. On her head she would wear candles so she could see where she was going and also then her hands were free to carry the food.

In Sweden during the 1700's St Lucia feast day became a BIG celebration, and marked the start of the Christmas season. It was the Winter Solstice and the festival of lights. It was changed to the Feast of St Lucia. On the morning of Dec 13 the oldest girl of the house would dress up like St Lucia. She would wear a white dress with a red sash and have a wreath on her head with red candles. The girl would carry a plate of St Lucia bread through the house with her sisters following, if she had any sisters and they would sing songs and give the bread to the rest of the family for breakfast. The rest of the day would be celebrated with a festival through the village. The Feast of St Lucia has spread through other parts of the world. However for traditional Catholics it has always been celebrated.


Loretta..........if you know of a differnt story or can add to mine I would love to hear it.

Wow, that is truly interesting. Thank yo for sharing! I love learning about those traditions!

thanks for sharing Loretta. I celebrated the feast of St Lucia and knew a little about her however I never read her entire story the link gave lots of good info.

St Lucia's Day is a very traditiional winter celebration in Scandinavian families and the Lutheran church.
I am of Scandinavian & German background but I sure never knew that St Lucy was a Catholic Saint too ! My grandmother was Norwegian and my grandfather Swedish. I was raised in the Lutheran church and remember going to this each year. It was a very pretty celebration. I haven't been to one recently, so thanks for the good memory !!
Merry Christmas & God Jul everyone !!

My EX was Lutheran and he never told me it was also a Lutheran thing but then again he never told me anything that is why he is an EX. I thought only Catholics believed in the Saints, thanks for enlightening me.

My EX was Lutheran and he never told me it was also a Lutheran thing but then again he never told me anything that is why he is an EX. I thought only Catholics believed in the Saints, thanks for enlightening me.

Thanks