Hay, Ribbons, and the Magic of Santa Lucia

It hasn't always been all about Santa Claus

Photo by Joe Cavazos on Unsplash

Years ago, when I’d just moved to Cremona, I remember walking through the cold foggy streets in December and being struck by the sight of bouquets of hay tied up in a ribbon and stuck to the front doors.

I never connected them to the date, 13 December, I was quite clueless. But there was so much going on in my life and I didn’t give it a further thought even when just as suddenly, the hay on the doors disappeared. I’d see it again later, the following year and I found it so puzzling.

At first, I thought little of it—just another curious detail of my new surroundings. It wasn’t until I began making friends here that I stumbled upon the story behind these little bundles of hay that are a charming Cremona tradition.

Santa Lucia is a popular saint here and in the weeks leading up the December 13th, the day of the saint, a tiny mailbox appears under the portici in town.

Tiny bundles of hay outside doors and houses in Cremona

Another door and the mailbox for childrens' letters

Children write to Santa Lucia for their Christmas wishes.

Locals shared that, long ago, Santa Lucia was much more popular than Santa Claus and it was up to her to bring children gifts.

Then, the night before the thirteenth, the saint goes from home to home with her donkey to visit all children in their sleep.

The hay is for the donkey.

When it disappears the next day, it’s a sign that Santa Lucia has passed and her donkey has eaten the hay.

I remember perfectly when Adriano, the owner of the bar around the corner, explained to me all about the hay and the ribbon over a frothy cappuccino.

He was so surprised by my asking because he thought it was something that everyone all over Italy did. Small digression, this is something I’ve noticed, how hard it is to discover a place with local friends who tend take everything for granted.

I then researched the story in the child books section of the local library and read the recommendation to not leave too much hay because otherwise the donkey will get indigestion and won’t be able to complete the tour of all the houses.

That tiny colorful ribbon tying the hay in the grey, foggy December days in Cremona, seems to tie the present to the past.

In a world racing toward the future, Cremona’s ribbons of hay seem to gently hold together the present to an agricultural past, honoring the rhythms of life that once shaped this land.

Cremona is a town, it’s very close to Milan but its ties to rural traditions are very strong.

The ribbon, the hay, are also a reminder of how little gestures can help us honor our past and keep it alive somehow in the present.

One of the things that I like about Cremona, and northern Italy in general, is seeing how small, community-driven traditions like this preserve a sense of belonging and identity. It holds even more meaning to me as I grow older and see so many things that I grew up with disappear.

The fact that there are communities who hold on tightly to their traditons, warms my heart and makes me want to adopt them myself.

Even in this prosperous northern region, traditions like Santa Lucia remind me that prosperity is rooted in hard work, community, and reverence for the past.

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Do you have a tradition like this where you live?

I’d love to hear your stories—share them in the comments. Frothy cappuccinos are optional!

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It’s little traditions like this that make Cremona so special—a place where history, community, and quiet magic come alive. If you’d like to experience this enchanting town and its rich culture firsthand, join the waiting list for my retreats here at the button below.