Festival of Lights

Lucia means "the shining one", "the radiant one". She lived in Sicily at the end of the 3rd century and helped persecuted people and fugitives who sought refuge from their persecutors in caves and catacombs. Lucia provided the threatened people with the bare necessities, which she brought in baskets to the underground hiding places. In order to have both hands free, she placed a wreath of candles on her head.

The Feast of St. Lucien, which commemorates the poor, the persecuted, the refugees and the sick and the courage of the young woman, is traditionally celebrated in Sweden. A girl in a white dress with a wreath of lights on her head parades through the towns. In Italy, too, there are processions of Lucien lights in December.

At the International Youth Library, we have been celebrating the Festival of Lights in this tradition for over 25 years. Starting in mid-November, children craft colourful light houses every Thursday in the children's library. At the start of the Blutenburg Christmas Market, a long procession of children and parents with self-made light houses moves around the Schlossweiher and follows Lucia. When it is dark, the light houses are placed on the water, which turns into a sparkling sea of lights.

Craft dates:

Thursday, November 17
Thursday, November 24
Thursday, December 1
at 2 pm and 4 pm each day

Meeting place: Children's library
Craft kit: 5 Euro
We ask for registration via kinderbibliothek@ijb.de