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STRATFORD - Linnea Palmkvist, 17, brought her long white Lucia dress with her from her home in Linkoping, Sweden.

The exchange student wanted to show it to her host family, Deb and Grant Sletten, of Webster City.

Saturday afternoon, during the 2009 Lucia Festival of Light at the Stratford Lutheran Church, she got to use it for its intended purpose as one of the candidates to be this year's Lucia.

"I never thought I'd get to wear it," she said.

As she talked about the annual celebration during the program, she pointed out that in Sweden it's an important part of the season.

"What is Christmas without Lucia?" she asked.

She explained that northern Sweden is above the arctic circle and in permanent darkness during the winter. The festival, which traditionally falls near winter solstice, signals that the sunlight will soon return.

"We know the lights are coming back soon," she said. "It gives us hope."

She explained that each town in Sweden selects its own Lucia. The process begins months before the day, with profiles of candidates printed in local newspapers. Members of the community vote for their favorite.

"It's a big deal to be Lucia of your town," she said.

She also explained that one of the requirements is a good singing voice. Swedish television broadcasts an annual concert on Lucia day with hundreds of voices singing.

"The whole of Sweden wakes up to these beautiful voices," she said.

Master of Ceremonies Darrell Young was especially happy that a native Swede was able to attend Saturday's ceremony.

"This may never happen again," he said. "And you saw it here."

Each year's Lucia is selected in Stratford by random drawing.

This year, the winner was Madelaine Miller, 16, of Boxholm.

Besides her Swedish heritage, Miller has another connection to the celebration.

"I was born on St. Lucia day," she said. "When my Swedish relatives found out I was a St. Lucia baby, they sent all kinds of stuff."

She explained that she was looking forward to telling her relatives in Sweden that she is the 2009 Lucia.

LouRene Iles, of Stratford, is active with the Swedish Immigrant Foundation of Iowa's Swede Bend Settlement Inc., which presents the day's events.

Attending the event is an annual tradition that she enjoys.

"It's beautiful," she said. "It gets you into the Christmas spirit."

Young, of Stratford, not only got into the Christmas spirit, he also gets into the Swedish spirit at home too.

"We have Swedish mixed through our home, so wherever we go there is something Swedish," he said.

During the ceremony, it was explained that St. Lucia was a young woman born in Syracuse on the island of Sicily in the year 284. She refused to renounce her faith when forced to marry. According to legend, she could not be moved after being sentenced to a brothel and a fire could not be started under her when she was ordered burned. A soldier's sword ended her life at the age of 20. She was known for bringing food to poor Christians hiding in caves while wearing lights on her head.

The Swedish form of the celebration began in the 1920s when a newspaper in Stockholm held the first contest to select a Lucia.

Another tradition from the Swedish Christmas tradition are the Tomte, little troll-like creatures that make their home in barns and under floorboards. They require a bowl of rice pudding at Christmas to keep them from wreaking havoc during the rest of the year.

Carol Larson, of Stratford, who helps put the program together every year, admitted to one or two little problems with this year's production. However, she was pretty sure she knew where they came from.

"A few little glitches are due to the Tomte," she said.

Contact Hans Madsen at (515) 573-2141 or hmadsen@messengernews.net