JRCX,

Rice Balls were a yearly tradition in my family. I don't know the accurate history of how this food came about, but in my family it was on St. Lucy's Day that we made them.

I had a great aunt who at a young age "almost" went blind. Don't know the specifics but St.Lucy is the patron Saint of the eyes and so I was told she prayed to St. Lucy every night and thankfully did not lose her site. Since that time, my father's whole generation would make riceballs on St. Lucy's Day (Dec. 12 or 13th I think).

If St. Lucy's Day was on a Friday, when we couldn't eat meat, they'd obviously make a meatless batch and we'd save the meat ones for the next day.

Gee, brings back memories. I wasn't even born when my Great Aunt went through this, but she was still alive when I was young, and I remember the family getting together making rice balls. It was like a mini holiday. Just like when they'd make the homemade pasta, rolling the dough, curling it. Man, an all day event.

TIS