health arial, story sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;”>Student elected by classmates wears crown of candles

California Lutheran University’s dramatic Sankta Lucia Festival, in which a student wears a crown of lighted candles, will be held at 11:25 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, in Samuelson Chapel.

Undergraduate students select five female and five male representatives whose depth of character and faith make them leaders in the Cal Lutheran community. In the festival, Lucia, her attendants and their escorts enter to the accompaniment of an ancient hymn and read an adaptation of the legend. Attendants then light the candles in Lucia’s crown.

The Swedish ceremony pays homage to the Christian martyr who died at the stake on Dec. 13, 304 A.D. and symbolizes the spirit of a centuries-old legend of Christian service. The tradition, which was brought to America by Swedish immigrants, has been part of the university’s holiday celebrations since its early years. The festival honors the character traits of mercy, humility and purity of heart, as seen in the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew.

The Office of Campus Ministry at Cal Lutheran is sponsoring the free event.

The chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane on the Thousand Oaks campus. Additional parking is available in the lot at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard. For more information, contact Elizabeth Lohr-Myers at [email protected] or 805-493-3228.