Right in the darkest depths of winter, Lucia arrives dressed in white with her entourage as a bearer of light and a reminder of brighter times ahead. Along with Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations on December 13th in Sweden are one of the foremost Swedish cultural traditions, a reminder of the days when life in the peasant communities of old was a struggle between the ancient forces of light and dark, cold and warmth.
The celebration is said to date from the 1700s, but the first modern procession took place in Stockholm in 1927. Many villages, companies, or groups will elect a Lucia, who leads a morning procession of candles and singing.
Lucia is a time for the making and eating of “Lussekatter”, saffron-flavoured buns shaped like sleeping cats, and every Swede knows the traditional Lucia song. You can watch and listen to a choir rendition of the Lucia song here.
A Happy Lucia from
The Nature Travels Team
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