A Tamaqua Area High School sophomore, Haleigh Jacob of New Ringgold, recently portrayed St. Lucia in the 31st annual Muhlenberg College Lucia Fest, held in the college's Egner Memorial Chapel earlier this month.

Lucia Fest is a Swedish pageant of music and candlelight, featuring children of the faculty and staff of Muhlenberg College. Haleigh's father, Merritt Jacob, is a professor at Muhlenberg.The pageant celebrates the tradition of St. Lucia, the saint of light.St. Lucia's feast day is Dec. 13. Early on that morning in Sweden, family members are awakened by a daughter of the house usually the oldest who serves them coffee and freshly baked saffron buns called "lussekatter."She wears a flowing white gown and a crown of candles.The song she sings, "Sankta Lucia," is an old Italian melody.