Friday 13 December 2013

and the winner is



thirty years ago today i was with my beloved great-aunt Rose
taking part in the Feast of Santa Lucia
with the Swedish expat community in Paris

it was a wonderful evening as we processed through the streets
carrying candles through the snow
led by a group of girls wearing crowns of lighted candles
their hair protected by alfoil
their long white dresses made from sheets
worn over sturdy cold-weather gear

in some parts of Europe it is traditional to mark Santa Lucia's Eve by setting small boats afloat
to drift downstream carrying candles
here in Australia in summertime that would be asking for trouble

but you aren't here for reminiscence
you're here to find out who will be receiving a wee package by mail.
Martha decided sleep was more important than pouncing on gum leaves
so i had to use other means

and now, without further ado
the winner from the comments left on the blog is

Madam Shen aka Sheri Ricker

and then we have a winner from FaceBook as well
Tarla Elward

finally
because there were a multitude of private emails
[from people who were having trouble leaving a comment]
i dipped for a winner there as well

Brece Hunnicutt


i think i have postal addresses for Tarla and Brece, but Sheri if you could sling me a line via the contact page on my website
here
and tell me your address

i shall get myself organised for a visit to the Post Office on Monday!

thank you all for joining in and leaving lots of helpful comments. there's much fodder for thought...

10 comments:

  1. Lucky the Winners gratulation to them

    the swedish tradition are also used here in Denmark , very beatiful in the dark days , i have done it in my Work

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  2. Yup, sounds like my childhood lucia celebrations. Enjoy the warm season at home. Congrats to the lucky winners!

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  3. Congratulations to Sheri, Tarla and Brece, lucky girls,
    as lucky as you must have felt walking the streets of Paris 30 years ago............

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  4. Just yesterday I finger knitted red belts with my second grade students to wear with their Santa Lucia gowns. Today there is a procession with song, candles and special star cookies. It is a lovely tradition that Waldorf schools keep alive every year. Next we leave our shoes in the hallway for St. Nicholas!
    Woo hoo to the winners!!!

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    Replies
    1. In our family St Nicholas visits on his name day, December 6. It used to be the one day of the year that it would be guaranteed my bedroom was perfectly tidy!

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  5. this was such fun to follow, india!

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  6. Onya India. A generous gesture, even if I didn't in. Happy Christmas and wonderful things for 2014.

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  7. The lucky winners will feel like Christmas has arrived early!

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