New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
| In Sweden, December 13 is Santa Lucia Day, a nationwide festival of light in which a young girl in a flowing white gown serves guests coffee and lussebulle or lussekatter (saffron buns) in the early morning.
Lussekatter is an ancient reference to Lucifer, who would appear in the shape of a cat to spirit children away. The buns also represent the Sun's power as it returns after the solstice, referencing success, prosperity, and growth. Create your own lussekatter using pre-made sweet bread dough. Saffron traditionally imparts a rich gold color to the rolls, but it's the world's most expensive spice; instead, knead in some yellow food-color paste (from the baking isle) to create a Sun-like gold hue. Shape each roll into a spiral or the customary "reverse S," or create round orbs to honor the returning Sun. Brush with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar, and ground cardamom before baking; this further honors the solar correspondences and tastes delicious, too! Today is the New Moon, and your "saffron buns" will work beautifully as the cakes and ale for your New Moon esbat. Serve the lussekatter on dark plates and offer spiced red wine as an accompaniment, echoing the Dark Moon. |
© This page is for the enjoyment of visitors to Llewellyn.com, and is the copyrighted intellectual property of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. You may post a link to this page, but no part of it may be used or reproduced without permission.
