Friday, December 12, 2008

I met Lucia

In the morning, the same day I started my travel, I met Lucia! My friends here have written about our Lucia traditiones, if you want to read about how we celebrate this day.
Now I´m leaving Sweden for Scotland! I´m so excited!
Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!
From
Wolfi

History
The name Lucia comes from the Latin word lüx, which means light. We celebrate Lucia on the 13 December.
In Sweden the Lucia night was known as the longest, darkest and most dangerous night of the year, a night when the animals could talk. There are lots of different legends about Lucia, who was a saint from Syracuse, and died the martyr death 304 years after Christ. A legend tells that Lucia was about to get burned on a bonfire, but then a miracle happened. The fire didn’t burn her, so they had to kill her with a sword. That’s why Lucia still has a red band around her waist. It’s a symbol for the blood when she got killed.
How we celebrate Lucia
In our school we celebrate Lucia on Dec.13th or, if that day is a Saturday or a Sunday, the day before or after. Before Lucia day we practice the songs and rhymes we have chosen. A girl is selected to be Lucia. On Lucia day Lucia and her maids put on long white dresses. The maids have tinsel around their waists and on their heads and candles in their hands. Lucia has got a red, silken band around her waist and a crown with candles on her head.
Often some pupils, dressed like Santa’s little helpers, walk together with Lucia and her maids, and sometimes boys dressed in long, white dresses with a paper cone with stars on, on their heads, and a star in their hands also follow Lucia. In Sweden we call them “star boys”.
Early in the morning on Lucia day, parents and relatives come to school to look at Lucia and her company, and listen to songs about dark nights, lights in the dark and Christmas carols.
In many places in Sweden we celebrate Lucia in the evenings on Lucia day or the days before or after. Lucia often bring coffee and gingerbread cookies and “lussekatter” ( if we translate it to English= Lucia cats). When we celebrate Lucia we say that we “lussar”.

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