Sankta Lucia

Hej dear fellows !

Today is a special day ! Yes, I see you coming with your "of course, we're not dummies, it's a Friday 13th". Well, yes, but not only. Today is the 13th of December, Saint Lucy's day if you look at your calendar.

Och i Sverige, this is a really important day. On Lucia, as they call it, celebrations take place all over the country. Every school, university, city, etc... elects its own Lucia, usually a beautiful long-haired blonde girl, and then a "ceremony" is organized. During it, a group of "white maiden" wear a long white dress with a red belt, and each of them carry a candle and has a crown made of pine. Lucia is the only one to wear a real crown, where jewels are replaced by candles. Then, the choir starts to sing traditional Christmas and Lucia songs.

Usually, everyone tries to attend at least to one Lucia celebration. Indeed, this tradition dates back to the Roman Empire, when a girl called Lucia, living in Syracuse, became a martyr for the Christian faith. Today, her memory is kept mostly in Italy and Scandinavian countries, where it is the strongest. The legend says the Romans tried to burn her for refusing to worship the Emperor, but that the flames refused to touch her. Even if she eventually died, she is today considered the Saint of Light in Scandinavia, and the celebration first coincided with the darkest day of the year, the winter solstice. It is said that everyone attending a Lucia celebration will be blessed by her light, and receive enough of it to go through the winter. During the cold and dark Scandinavian winters, Lucia is keeping the Darkness at bay.

This morning, I woke up at 6, struggled to get out of my bed, and took the bus to attend SLU's Lucia. And it was worth it! 30 min of songs in the dark, the candles being the only source of light. It was a really beautiful moment, nearly magic I would say. Perhaps it's because it was the first time for me, and because we haven't kept that many traditions in France that I feel this way :) Anyway, I liked it a lot!

While they were singing, the sun was rising, and when they stopped and we got out, its first rays were shining over the roofs: dawn had come!

So, I wish to all of you a good Sankta Lucia, may Her Light shine upon you !

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but some things must be felt rather than seen ;)

Vi ses

Mig