“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” ~ James Keller ~
I did not get to see our town’s Lucia this weekend; but below is another St Lucia video for you, which was made for Swedish television in Mora in 2007, at the home/museum of famous Swedish painter Anders Zorn (1860-1920). This video includes Lucia and her maidens arriving by sleigh ride. You will also get glimpses from the kitchen, and get to see the Lucia carrying a coffee tray with the traditional buns and gingerbread cookies (see yesterday’s post).
Tomorrow on 13 December we celebrate St Lucia, or St Lucy’s Day in Sweden (and in the other Scandinavian countries as well). It’s not an official holiday, but a very popular occasion in Sweden, celebrated everywhere: at home, publically in the town, in schools, work-places and churches.
This year, as 13 December falls on a Monday, some of the official celebrations are likely to take place on the weekend instead.
But Lucia is also traditionally an early morning event so no doubt there will be Lucia celebrations on Monday morning too.
Photo from Wikipedia
The girl or woman appointed “Lucia” wears a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head. She walks at the head of a procession of other girls/women (her “maids”) wearing similar white gowns and carrying candles. There may also be boys in the procession, dressed up as “star boys” or (especially with younger children) sometimes in other Christmas-inspired costumes. As Lucia is associated with the Christian martyr St Lucy (283-304), the star boys are associated with St Stephen (the first Christian martyr). While entering the room, they sing a Lucia song describing the light with which Lucia overcomes the darkness.They then go on to singing more Lucia and Christmas carols and songs.
Older Swedish traditions may have gone before, but the current Lucia tradition of a white-dressed woman with candles in her hair appearing on the morning of the Lucia day is said to have started in the area around Lake Vänern in the late 18th century and spread slowly to other parts of the country during the 19th century.
When the celebration takes place in private homes, Lucia traditionally brings Lucia buns, ginger biscuits and coffee.
Photos from Wikipedia
Some people prefer the Lucia buns made with saffron, some without. (I like them with saffron, although that was not the tradition in my home when I grew up.) The ginger biscuits come in all kinds of shapes, and lots of varieties in the ingredients too.
The modern tradition of having public Lucia processions in the Swedish cities started in 1927 when a newspaper in Stockholm elected an official Lucia for Stockholm. This spread throughout the country and every town now usually have their own. A national celebration is also broadcasted each year by Swedish television.
Below you can watch the beginning of such a Lucia celebration from Växjö Cathedral in 2009. (Växjö is in South-East Sweden).
13th December in Sweden is Lucia Day, or St Lucy's Day (link to Wikipedia article). As with so many other celebrations, the origin is a strange mix of quite different legends and traditions.
On the one hand, the celebration is connected to old beliefs that on the night between 12th till 13th one should guard oneself against Lucifer (the devil), or a female evil spirit or witch by name of Lussi, by staying up all night and keeping candles burning etc. (In old times this night was believed to be the winter solstice, the longest night in the whole year.)
On the other hand, it has also been connected to the Italian legends of St Lucy, patron saint of Syracuse who died in the 4th century.
Anyway, the tradition arose of young people going round between houses and farms on this night, singing special Lucia songs (and Christmas carols and hymns), and bringing candles and sweets and pastries. Lucia traditionally wears a long white dress or robe, and a crown of candles on her head. Her maids just hold candles in their hands. Boys can take part too, also dressed in white robes and wearing white cones on their heads decorated with stars and sometimes also holding a stick with a star on top. They're then called "star boys". (Nowadays boys might also be dressed up as Santa's helpers or gingerbread men.)
A special kind of sweet buns or rolls are made for Lucia; often they are made with saffron, and because of their special curled shape, they are called "Lucia cats". Ginger biscuits also belong in the Lucia and Christmas traditions.
Every town has their own Lucia, usually elected by a public voting process involving the local newspaper and a charity organisation. This Lucia and her maids spend around three weeks in December going round visiting different organisations and public places, singing traditional songs and collecting money for charity. Each school and church etc usually also have their own Lucia celebrations. Young children sometimes go round and sing to the neighbours. Older students sometimes stay up all night, or get up very early to go and wake up parents or teachers etc.
One of my best Lucia night memories is from when I was in a youth gospel choir in my early 20s. A few of us started out in the very early morning, all dressed up, and then went round to collect the rest. Many of them were still living at home with their parents, so then we'd wake the whole family and sing a few songs at each place. Then we brought the choir members with us and so with each visit there were more of us. The last people visited were our choir leaders, pastors and the janitors at the church.
The picture at the top of the post was taken at a mini Lucia concert outdoors in the park close to where I live, a little over a week ago. At five o'clock in the afternoon, it is already completely dark. It was only possible to take photos when they were on stage in the light.
Here is a clip I found on Youtube, so that you get one of the traditional songs as well:
