Sankta Lucia

[sibylla]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=57495&albumid=176&dl=1260718858&thumb=1 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=176&pictureid=57495)

Today we celebrate Sankta Lucia in Sweden. The town usually have a beauty contest where longhaired young girls compete to be elected this years Lucia.Women get up early and dress up like Lucia with a candle crown on their head and wake up their families with ginger bread and a special saffron bun and hot coco.I love this tradition even though I´m not religeous. Maybe other swedes likes to add more information. I´ll try to take a foto of myself with the crown.

[akka naeda]

We did this when I did Scandinavian Studies at university. Our Lucia had long blonde hair (she was half Danish) and she had to iron the wax from the candles out of her hair afterwards.

We made lucebullar today too, because while I have told DD about the procession etc before (her entire class when she was in Primary School), she's never had them.

[Crysta]

That sounds like a beautiful idea, I wish there was something like that I could get involved in in the U.K.

*waits for photo*

[Clarisse]

We have the tradition here in Denmark too. Usually, the schools arrange the Santa Lucia. The girls (and sometimes the boys too), will walk in a long procession, be dressed up in white dresses, carry candles in their hands and sing Santa Lucia songs and christmas carols. The teachers decides who are to be the Lucia bride. The Lucia bride will have this leafy crown with 4 candles on her head. Usually, it is not a pretty girl with longe blonde hair - it is a girl, who needs some extra attention for some reason. A not-too-pretty girl, the teachers wants to support. The pretty blondes with good voices are usually placed in the back of the procession, and then they will sing the 2nd voice.
I like the tradition, though. And I love Lucia bread.

[Konstifik]

Here's some clips from a Lucia-procession in Globen, Stockholm two years ago. I wish I was there. :)

Entrance (Goder afton, mitt herrskap) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SkMZIvqfMk)

Staffansvisan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svAEq90s1NE)

Lusse Lelle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o7Cl_kyeyI)

Enjoy! :)


My Lucia-day started pretty rough with a migraine. :( But I recovered (probably with some help of glitter), and now I just got back home from a restaurant where me and some of my friend spent cheery hours of eating, and of course, glittering! :cheese:

P.S: For those who don't know about Lucia, glitter is the most important part of it! Don't listen to those who says that's not the case. They're simply wrong. :p

[Fethenwen]

Aaw, Lucia day, I've always been really fond of this day. It is celebrated here in Finland amongst swedish speaking Finns. The candles of the Lucia crown gives a little light in the darkest days of the year :) I haven't eaten any lussekatter today, maan I knew there was something missing! Oh well.

[Thinthondiel]

I didn't know grown women dress up as Santa Lucia in Sweden... that's interesting to know. :)
My best friend is Swedish, but I don't think they do the Lucia thing in her family.

Here in Norway, I think it's mostly arranged in schools and kindergartens, although I guess some families might do it as well... it's only the children who dress up, though.

I haven't had lussekatter in years... which is a shame, because they're delicious!

[Hiriel]

I didn't know grown women dress up as Santa Lucia in Sweden... that's interesting to know. :)
My best friend is Swedish, but I don't think they do the Lucia thing in her family.

Here in Norway, I think it's mostly arranged in schools and kindergartens, although I guess some families might do it as well... it's only the children who dress up, though.

I haven't had lussekatter in years... which is a shame, because they're delicious!

I was Lucia in elementary school! I'm still slightly proud of that, because Lucia is (at least here) supposed to be blonde, it was always a blonde girl who was chosen. Apparently I have some sort of great skill at wearing candle crowns that made up for my brown hair ;)
Spending an hour with three friends picking the candle wax out of my hair afterwards was great fun too...

[Ina]

I loved to celebrate lucia in kindergarden and school! I am eating lussekatter right now:D

[sibylla]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNMgKhPfONE

This is on Swedish television right now:)

[KatKeRo]

We don't have the tradition but I once was St Lucia for a concert my folkdance group did on a christmasmarket. It was fun doing it.

[CaliRose]

Do you all remember the American Girl dolls and books? They were so big when I was a kid. I remember that Kirsten (my favorite - the one who moved from Sweden to Minnesota in the 1800s) had a Lucia book/outfit. I thought it was so pretty, I made my mother do the hairstyle she had on the cover!

[aisling]

Here it's usually an older girl, young woman, late teens or around 20, who is elected to Finland's Lucia and the Lucia in several cities. Then younger girls and kids are Lucia in schools and daycare of course, but Finland's Lucia is usually around 20.

I was Lucia in school when I was 11 and had long, blonde hair. I can't really sing but the other girls (tärnor) where good singers. We also visited the local retirement home and they were happy with me, we read some poems and they could hear me :lol: I've always had a bearing voice...

[karli]

I just got back from church where dd and her choir were Lucia. It was so nice!

[Isilme]

I think Lucia is a very pretty and a very solemn/moving (eh, stämningsfull!) tradition. I was Lucia once in school and it was very special for me because there was always some pretty blonde girl who got to be Lucia, but I had luck on my side that year!:) It was amazing.
What I don't like about all these big Lucia celebrations is that they always sing some weird version of the original song, and the Lucia herself doesn't sing! They got it totally wrong, she should sing too!

[Thinthondiel]

I was Lucia in elementary school! I'm still slightly proud of that, because Lucia is (at least here) supposed to be blonde, it was always a blonde girl who was chosen. Apparently I have some sort of great skill at wearing candle crowns that made up for my brown hair ;)
Spending an hour with three friends picking the candle wax out of my hair afterwards was great fun too...


I think Lucia is a very pretty and a very solemn/moving (eh, stämningsfull!) tradition. I was Lucia once in school and it was very special for me because there was always some pretty blonde girl who got to be Lucia, but I had luck on my side that year!:) It was amazing.
What I don't like about all these big Lucia celebrations is that they always sing some weird version of the original song, and the Lucia herself doesn't sing! They got it totally wrong, she should sing too!

I've been Lucia once too (in kindergarten), despite not having blonde hair. :)
I didn't get any candle wax in my hair, though - the candles on the wreath were fake.

ETA: Isilme, I agree... the Lucia should definitely sing as well!

[Gingevere]

Oh, I've definitely seen this before. There are lots of Scandinavian-Americans around here- in Wisconsin and especially Minnesota. It's an interesting tradition.

Calirose- yes, I remember Kirsten! The cover of one of her books showed her dressed up as St. Lucia, right?

[karli]

Our Lucia sang a solo. I do agree that they shouldn`t change the songs, but it is probably up to the musicteacher who has taught the same songs for several years and has gotten bored with the originals.

[ArienEllariel]

This makes me think of Kirtsten from the American Girls books. ^^ I've always wanted to experience that tradition, but sadly I'm not swedish.:boohoo:

[Hiriel]

I've been Lucia once too (in kindergarten), despite not having blonde hair. :)
I didn't get any candle wax in my hair, though - the candles on the wreath were fake.

ETA: Isilme, I agree... the Lucia should definitely sing as well!

In kindergarten, I think fake candles are the safest way to go ;)
I can't sing. At all. At our school, it was all the other kids who sang the Lucia song, and Lucia recited a hymn. Some quick googling tells me it's Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd" etc).

[windinherhair]

I learned more about this after meeting my Danish husband. I got to observe the parade of girls walking with the candles on their heads last year at a Scandinavian gathering in the U.S. It was really beautiful to see.

[JamieLeigh]

This is such a fascinating thread! :drama: I love the idea of Lucia day...I wish we had something like this in the US. (if we do, and I just don't know about it...what is it?????) Such a nice way of reminding the younger generation that long hair is still a beautiful option, no matter what the tv and movie crowd say. :D

[mugglemomof3]

My dad's side of the family is Swedish, and ever since my brother and his family visited there about 15 years ago, we've celebrated this day with a little dinner. I didn't get to go this year. :(

Lovely story.

[Qamar]

I always wanted to play Lucia as a child when I heard about it. There was something beautiful and romantic about it, but growing up in Maine, there wasn't a Scandinavian community around that did this. I did play it a few times with Christmas wreaths and a towel over my scalp hair, but never got the candles to stand up properly. I always envisioned Lucia's hair as very long, around classic length.

[Thinthondiel]

I know it's a week and a half since the Lucia Day, but I just found a picture of me from when I was Lucia in kindergarten, so I thought I'd post it here.

We were visiting the nursing home where my grandmother was staying. That's my grandmother in the photo. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/Thinthondiel/crop06.jpg

[Katurday]

Wow. The celebrations sure do change from country to country.
In Croatia, on St.Lucia's day we mostly give gifts to my mom (her
name is Lucia and we give gifts on saint name days) and we grow
this funky little patch of grass that we place high up and near a
light source. Around the time that it gets really big, we know Christmas
is near.