We have in school today, December the 13th, celebrated an old Christian feast day called Sankta Lucia (Saint Lucy's Day). This is a Scandinavian Lutheran tradition and the celebration comes from stories that were told by monks who brought Christianity to Scandinavia a long time ago. Lucia was a young Christian girl who was martyred and killed for her faith on the 13th of December 304 AD. She brought light in the midst of darkness.
We had a very solemn and beautiful candlelit Lucia procession this year at Cronhjelmskolan. There was a very special atmosphere in our gymnasium this morning when the lights were dimmed and Lucia, her handmaidens and star boys, all dressed in white, entered the gymnasium, singing the Lucia song and also other songs together.
Tradition has it that Lucia wears light in her hair. Our Lucia had a crown of candles in a wreath on her head. Each of her handmaidens carried a candle, too. The star boys carried stars on sticks and they had tall paper cones on their heads.
At school we also got gingerbread cookies and saffron-flavoured buns which we call Lussekatter. The buns are shaped like curled-up cats and they are decorated with raisin eyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment