St. Lucia's Day, recognized throughout Scandinavia, is celebrated on December 13. According to legend, Lucia died a martyr's death and was later made a saint. Especially in Sweden, where it's a national celebration, towns celebrate with traditional ceremonies: St. Lucia symbolizes the promise of the sun's return to bring Sweden from its wintry darkness. The key figure in any celebration, St. Lucia, dresses in a white gown and wears a crown of candles on her head — sometimes the candles are real, sometimes battery-operated (for safety's sake). For celebrations at home, a young girl in the family will dress as St. Lucia and present her parents with breakfast in bed. That breakfast tray usually includes a pot of tea, milk, and bright-gold St. Lucia Buns.