Thursday, December 14, 2006

Lucia...

Still not feeling very well today. But at least a little bit better than yesterday. So maybe it will just take me a little while to recover. Anyway...

I said for the 13th I would not follow the prompt for the Christmas journal class. Instead I would pick my own subject which is very appropriate for the 13th if you're Swedish. I wrote all about Lucia which is celebrated on the 13th of December every year.

I tried to take a close-up photo of the journaling, but it wasn't very easy to read. So instead I will copy the text from the page here:

"Lucia is celebrated on the 13th of December in Sweden and is a very, very old tradition. Going back hundreds of years. It was considered the year’s longest night and each farm or village would dress a woman in white clothes with candles in her hair to brighten the dark night. They would have lots of celebrations including food and drink. The modern celebration sees the start of the Luciatrain (“Luciatåg“). A train of white dressed women (“tärnor”) holding a candle in their hand and the first woman (the “Lucia“) would have candles in her hair. You sing special Lucia songs and bring coffee and lussekatter (special saffron Lucia buns with raisins). Children would dress up and do this for their parents in the morning of the 13th of December. Every town vote for “their” official Lucia and has a Luciatrain. The same is done in schools and workplaces all over the country. Even the Swedish TV has their own official Lucia and a Lucia program which the Luciatrain showed early in the morning and in the evening of the 13th every year."

4 comments:

Kat said...

Anso, I hope you're feeling better soon!!

Like the way you have made the entry for the 13th your own - I have heard and read about Lucia but reading your journalling makes it all much clearer! Thanks. :)

Rhi said...

Ive never heard of Lucia before but it sounds like a great tradition, a bit like a rose queen at the carnival. Thanks for sharing nad get well soon,
Rhi x

Unknown said...

It is lovely to learn about different traditions like this thanks for sharing hun xx

Anonymous said...

Anso

We celebrate Lucia by inviting about 70 of our neighbors, friends and relatives over for breakfast at 6:30 in the morning. We ask them to bring non-perishable food for our local food bank. We serve an egg casserole, orange juice, saffron bread, ginger cookies and coffee-lots of coffee. We have a great time and donate to charity as well.