Growing up in a Church founded by Swedish immigrants, I have grown to appreciate the wonderful traditions at Christmas.  Sometimes, though our fascination with traditions exceeds our motivation to carry them out.

So this year, when Santa Lucia came around, instead of our daughter carrying saffron buns to everyone in the house early in the morning, with candles atop her head (which, by the way she has never done anyhow), this is the best we could come up with.

Well, it is a Swedish candle atop her head (from Ikea or the Sweden Shop) and it does match her sweatshirt.  What’s worse, originally we didn’t even wake her up — just snuck up on her in bed, plunked  the candle on her head as she slept, and then went to the kitchen for some coffee and Monkey Bread (cinnamon sugar pull apart bread baked in bunt pan).