It’s 7am on the morning of Lucia Day – 13th December. It’s pitch dark and cold, the thermometer is showing -8 below and it has snowed during the night. The air is electric with anticipation and excitement. No one is asleep; instead there is a feverish activity in every house…
“Have we got everything? I can’t believe you broke the star! What are we going to do now?”
“Where is the tinsel mum? You know I need it for my hair and this is too short!”
“Iiiihh I’m so NERVOUS, imagine if everybody laughs when I sing my solo!”
Finally everyone is off to the local church, community hall or school. The activity is now reaching frantic levels. Kids get ushered into the back room. Quick quick! All you can hear is giggles, hushing and an occasional;
” Why do I have to wear this stupid cone on my head?”
“Someone has to do it and you were Santa last year so now just hush up and be the ‘Star Boy” and for goodness sake don’t forget to SMILE!”
“OMG, I have forgotten the words I’m supposed to say!!! And stop standing on my Lucia shirt, it’ll get dirty! “
“There are sooooo many people here; I don’t think I can do it!”
In the meantime out in the halls, churches and schools, the windows have steamed up by now. The air is thick with the smell of wet clothes, candles burning, ginger bread, ‘glögg’ and coffee. The only sound you can hear is the coughs, people sniffling, scraping of chair and whispers. It’s dark, the lights are off.
Silence and then the faint sound of voices singing, coming closer. The flickering of candles and THERE THEY ARE! The “Lucia train”. The proud girl that has been chosen this year to be Lucia is leading the others with a crown of candles on her head. It’s so beautiful. All the mum’s eyes mist over. Dad’s clearing their throats, a bit emotional. It gets you every year!
There is nothing I love more when it comes to Swedish traditions than the Lucia celebrations. This is Christmas for me. Enjoy.
Tags: Memories, Santa Lucia, Scandinavia, Swedish Christmas, Swedish traditions
