Christmas reflections: Multicultural celebrations revive memories

His family gave in to some American traditions — they set up their Christmas earlier and celebrate on Christmas Day.

Still, he said, "The whole family gets together for the obligatory Christmas stories and Bible reading."

Every year, the Swedish Heritage Society of Utah celebrates Lucia Day with a performance and feast.

St. Lucia's legend stems from Sicily. Lucia was sentenced to be burned at the stake after angering her fiance by giving her entire dowry to the poor, and refusing to renounce her Christian beliefs. But the fire wouldn't light, so Lucia's throat was slit.

Lucia stems from the Latin word for light. While it's not known how the legend traveled to Sweden, the light is especially symbolic for those living in a part of the world that is "so dark, so long in the year," said Louise Mathews, a member of the society's board.

"The Christmas season starts on Dec. 13," she said. "Lucia is the big day."

Mathews remembers celebrating the holiday as a child in Philadelphia.

"It was a big deal for us when we were children," she said of the tradition in which young girls dress in a crown of lighted candles, serving coffee and buns. In Utah, she said, hot chocolate often replaces the coffee. And the candles are now electric.

Ten-year-old twins Priscila and Nicole Castro are experts on the Three Kings.

"Our parents tell us, you can't open your eyes when they're here giving presents," Priscila says. "If you open your eyes, you won't get a present."

The twins, originally from the Dominican Republic, are referring to Jan. 6, Dia de los Reyes, or Three Kings Day. The Kings, or Magi, leave gifts in children's shoes.

For the past two years, they've also enjoyed annual Christmas visits from Santa Claus. While they enjoy the holiday here, they do miss "family field trips" to the beach.

Their father, Raymundo Castro, uses the word "wonderful" to describe Christmas in Utah. In Santo Domingo, he says, the holiday is more of neighborhood party with dancing in the streets.

"The true spirit of Christmas is here," Castro says. "Here it's more spiritual."

The Jan. 6 holiday meant disappointment for Rocio Mejia, who says she grew up poor in Mexico, one of 21 children.

Mejia said she always wondered why the Wise Men visited children across the street, but not her. She always missed out on the toys and notes with advice that other children received.

"Some families didn't have anything," she said. "My family was one of those families."

Mejia, founder of the humanitarian organization Una Mano Amiga, says her own three children now "get a lot," both on the Christmas holiday and on Jan. 6.

Remembering her own roots, she says, for the past couple of years they have also donated some of their presents to a family they sponsor.

Recently, handing out gifts to eager children at the International Christmas celebration at the E Center, Mejia said she does it "just to see their faces. ... A lot of these families (have) very low incomes."

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com