Many Swedish au pairs participated in Ridgewood's Santa Lucia Procession, which was held Friday, December 13th at the Upper Ridgewood Community Church. The celebration, a type of “Festival of Lights,” is a Scandinavian tradition, organized by Ridgewood resident Annika McCrea, who grew up in Sweden. This tradition began several years ago with a small group of Swedish au pairs from Au Pair Care’s program along with their host families, and has grown the event to more than 150 participants and attendees. The legend goes that long ago Santa Lucia, walking in a white robe with a crown of candles to light her way, brought food and drink to famished people in an ancient Scandinavian village – therefore bringing them light and hope in a time of darkness and despair. Annika stated:, “It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season. . .the Swedish au pairs love to share their homeland traditions with their host families and the community-at-large.” Once again, the event was extremely well attended and the traditional food and beverages offered after the ceremony were delicious.
