Happy Saint Lucy's Day

[SorellaLaBefana]

For the past several years we've been watching a wonderful live-camera feed from a Finnish ski resort just north of the Arctic Circle.
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At this time of year it is truly a bright spot in winter's gloom and also a figurative bright spot as it is a view into a functional society.

This sparked us to learn more about Finland and the other Scandinavian countries rather than just the history of the Vikings. Saint Lucy's Day—December 13th, which marks the start of Christmastide—is one of the fascinating bits of social history we've encountered.

Saint Lucy/Lucia is a Sicilian saint who may be more popular in Scandinavia than Italy. Her martyrdom is the usual dreadful and horrific tale. Thankfully, as one of the sources we looked at flatly stated: "Scholars agree that the legend of St. Lucy contains more fiction that[sic] fact."

So we'll just leave that aside for a more uplifting origin for this Scandinavian Solstice Celebration: Luciadagen. I make NO claim that this synopsis of another culture's tradition is correct—my knowledge of Norse Mythology is pretty weak—but I do think it is charming, fascinating and worth sharing.

It seems as though this Italian Saint was embraced by the Vikings not long after they converted to The One True Faith as she was easily combined with the Norse Goddess Freya.

Freya is the sister of Frey the God who was celebrated during Yule. Yule symbolized the return of the sun; and, as Saint Lucy's name ultimately means "light" Freya and her cat-drawn flying chariot was apparently a good fit.

Until the Gregorian calendar Freya's Feast Day fell on the 21st—the Solstice. After being moved to the 13th her day became considered the start of the Christmas Season and is celebrated with bonfires, parades and a "Saint Lucy" wearing a crown of candles not only in public display, but in most families as well (if they have a daughter).

The day starts with an early breakfast (traditionally between 0100-0400) of special foods, one of which is a bun called "Lussenkatter" (Lucy's Cats—ah, there's Freya again). Over about the past forty years these celebrations have become more public and more popular, with parades led by Saint Lucy followed by her handmaidens, star boys, gingerbread men and oft-times Christmas elves.

Especially notable is the celebration in Stockholm. The Nobel Prizes are awarded on December 10th. Before The Plague, many recipients would spend several weeks there after the awards. On Saint Lucy's day any who are still there were awoken in their hotels by girls dressed in white and wearing candles...

As the author of the above story about the Nobel Laureates puts it: "So let’s end with Merry Christmas and a happy new year or as we say in Sweden God Jul och gott nytt ar"

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[Walleye]

1. I have been to the annual celebration, old Swedes Church, Wilmington, Delaware

The Swedes first landed in Delaware in 1600. the celebration is beautiful in the church, about 350 years old and there’s no electricity. The chosen girl wears the candles on her head and they sing that beautiful tune. It’s really sweet when all the toddlers march in and sit in front of the altar. Always a couple of them acting up. Then they go to a feast in the next building, it’s really a great celebration.

[Different Drummer]

2. Rick Steves' European Christmas was on PBS not long ago.

A segment in that covered this very celebration.

[SorellaLaBefana]

5. It is good to hear that Rick is still out there :)

[Raine]

3. My father's family is Scandinavian (Norwegian) 🇸🇯

we used to go to one of these festivals every year. Unfortunately the one nearest us had to stop during the pandemic. They haven't started having them again yet, maybe next year.

[wnylib]

4. Santa Lucia's song. My mother used to sing this. Her ancestry was

north German, not Scandinavian, but close enough, I guess, for her to learn this song, one of her favorites.