Lucia celebration in Sweden
This is the time of year when many of us are getting in the holiday spirit and ready to celebrate with our loved ones according to our various traditions. In my online language lessons I teach the Swedish language as well as culture, and many of my clients are excited to explore Scandinavian Christmas traditions. Sweden is predominantly Christian with more than half of the population belonging to the Church of Sweden, so the majority of people do celebrate Christmas in some form. In this blog I wanted to share a unique aspect of Swedish holiday traditions, the celebration of Saint Lucia Day.
The holiday season in Sweden often starts by lighting a candle in the traditional candelabra decorated with green moss on the first Sunday of Advent. This is followed by a Swedish fika, which includes a hot drink and sweets. Most common is to drink glögg (mulled wine), eat ginger snaps, and perhaps indulge in a saffron bun. Like in many other Christian countries advent is celebrated on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day.
December 13 is Saint Lucia Day, which is a hugely popular tradition in Sweden. This is one of very few Swedish holidays named after a saint, Saint Lucy that lived in the 4th century in Syracuse which is part of modern Italy. Lucia was traditionally celebrated on the longest night of the year, which in the Julian calendar fell on Dec. 13. The date was kept after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, in which the winter solstice falls on Dec. 22. According to Scandinavian mythology this was a night of supernatural activity and a time to be cautious. Preparations for Christmas should all be complete by this day and to celebrate there was some extra food and drink. The celebration of this holiday is thought to have predated Christianity in Scandinavia, and the traditions have changed over the centuries and varied by region. It was not until the late 1800s that Saint Lucia celebrations became established nationally in its modern form.
Saint Lucia day starts with a “Luciatåg”, a candlelit procession in the early morning. The participants are dressed in white gowns and led by “Lucia”, who wears a crown with lights in her hair. Other participants are holding candles or lights, and the group sings traditional songs and recites poems. The songs include such hits as “Staffan stalledräng” (Steve the farmhand) and “Julen är här” (Christmas has arrived), and poems such as “så mörk är natten” (so dark the night). While the audience is listening they might be treated to lussebullar (saffron buns), ginger snaps and coffee or tea. The Luciatåg performs at schools, businesses, churches, and many other places. Some hotels will even have a procession going room-to-room, which can be very confusing for international guests. Being woken up by women dressed in white with lights in their hair singing to you can understandably be a little unsettling if you are unfamiliar with Scandinavian traditions(!).
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