Saint Lucy's Day
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Saint Lucy's Day (Sankta Lucia, Saint Lucia) is the Church feast day dedicated to St. Lucy and is observed on December 13. Traditionally an important feast day in all of Western Christendom, it now retains traditional forms of celebration mainly in Scandinavia, parts of the United States and southern Europe. It is celebrated in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Italy, Bosnia, Iceland, and Croatia. In the United States, people in areas of Minnesota and other states with Scandinavian roots continue to celebrate the holiday, often centered around church events. Before the reform of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century, St. Lucy's Day fell on the winter solstice on the Northern Hemisphere.
In traditional celebrations, Saint Lucy typically comes as a young woman with lights and sweets. It is one of the few saint days observed in Scandinavia.
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[edit] Celebration
[edit] In Scandinavia
In Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, Lucy (called Lucia) is venerated on December 13 in a ceremony where an elected girl, portraying Lucia, walks, with a crown of candles, ahead of a procession of other women holding a candle each. The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned. The women sing a Lucia song while entering the room, to the melody of the traditional Neapolitan song Santa Lucia, still well-known through the recording by Enrico Caruso but, whereas the Italian lyrics describe the beautiful view from the area Santa Lucia in Naples, the various Scandinavian lyrics are fashioned for the occasion, describing the light with which Lucia overcomes the darkness. Each Scandinavian country has their own lyrics in their native tongues. After finishing this song, the procession usually continue by singing Christmas carols or more songs about Lucia. A similar version of this occurs in Scandinavian communities and churches in the United States.
When the Scandinavian countries were Catholic, the night of Lucia was celebrated just as many other saints' days were. However, the tradition would continue to live on even after the reformation in the 1520s and 1530s. According to the Julian calendar[citation needed] the night of Lucia was the longest night of the year. This is likely to be the reason why the tradition has lived on in the Nordic countries in particular, as the nights in November and December are very dark and long before the snow has fallen, and the idea of light overcoming darkness is thus appealing.
[edit] Sweden
Some trace the “re-birth” of the Lucia celebrations in Sweden to the tradition in German Protestant families of having girls dressed as angelic Christ children, handing out Christmas presents. The Swedish variant of this white-dressed Kindchen Jesus, or Christkind, was called Kinken Jes, and started to appear in upper-class families in the 1700s on Christmas Eve with a candle-wreath in her hair, handing out candy and cakes to the children. Another theory claims that the Lucia celebration evolved from old Swedish traditions of “star boys” and white-dressed angels singing Christmas carols at different events during Advent and Christmas. In either case, the current tradition of having a white-dressed woman with candles in her hair appearing on the morning of the Lucia day started in the area around Lake Vänern in the late 1700s and spread slowly to other parts of the country during the 1800s.
In the Lucia procession in the home depicted by Carl Larsson in 1908 (illustration, above), the oldest daughter brings coffee and St. Lucia buns to her parents while wearing a candle-wreath and singing a Lucia song. Other daughters may help, dressed in the same kind of white robe and carrying a candle in one hand, but only the oldest daughter wears the candle-wreath.
The modern tradition of having public processions in the Swedish cities started in 1927 when a newspaper in Stockholm elected an official Lucia for Stockholm that year. The initiative was then followed around the country through the local press. Today most cities in Sweden appoint a Lucia every year. Schools elect a Lucia and her maids among the students and a national Lucia is elected on national television from regional winners. The regional Lucias will usually visit local shopping malls, old people's homes and churches, singing and handing out ginger snaps. Recently there was some discussion whether it was suitable if the national Lucia was from a different ethnic group, but it was decided that ethnicity should not be a problem, and in the year 2000 an adopted non-white girl was crowned the national Lucia.
There are now also boys in the procession, playing different roles associated with Christmas. Some may be dressed in the same kind of white robe, but with a coneshaped hat decorated with golden stars, called stjärngossar (star boys); some may be dressed up as "tomtenissar" (Santa's little helpers), carrying lanterns; and some may be dressed up as gingerbread men. They participate in the singing and also have a song or two of their own, usually Staffan Stalledräng, which tells the story about Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, caring for his five horses.
A traditional kind of bun, Lussekatt ("St. Lucia Bun"), made with saffron, is normally eaten on this day.
Although St. Lucia's Day is not an official holiday in Sweden, it is a popular occasion in Sweden. The Lucia evening and night is a notoriously noisy time. High school students often celebrate by partying all through the night. At many universities, students hold big formal dinner parties since this is the last chance to celebrate together before most students go home to their families for Christmas.
The Swedish lyrics to the Neapolitan song Santa Lucia have traditionally been either Natten går tunga fjät (The Night walks with heavy steps) or Sankta Lucia, ljusklara hägring (Saint Lucy, Bright Illusion). There is also a modern version with easier text for children: Ute är mörkt och kallt (Outside it's dark and cold).
[edit] Denmark
In Denmark, the Day of Lucia (Luciadag) was first celebrated on December 13, 1944. The tradition was directly imported from Sweden by initiative of Franz Wend, secretary of Föreningen Norden, as an attempt "to bring light in a time of darkness”. Implicitly it was meant as a passive protest against German occupation during the Second World War but it has been a tradition ever since.
Although the tradition is imported from Sweden, it differs somewhat in that the celebration has always been strongly centered on Christianity and it is a yearly local event in most churches in conjunction with Christmas. Schools and kindergartens also use the occasion to mark the event as a special day for children on one of the final days before the Christmas holidays, but it does not have much impact anywhere else in society.
There are also a number of additional historical traditions connected with the celebration, which are not widely observed. The night before candles are lit and all electrical lights are turned off, and on the Sunday closest to December 13 Danes traditionally attend church.
The Danish versions of the Neapolitan song clearly reflect its close connection to Christianity. The best known version is Holger Lissners version from 1982, Sankta Lucia.
[edit] In Italy
St. Lucia is the patron saint of the city of Syracuse ([Sicily)][1] where she was born. The main celebration occurs on the 13th of December and in May. St. Lucy is also popular among children in some regions of North-Eastern Italy, namely Trentino, East Lombardy (Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona and Mantua), some parts of Veneto, (Verona), some parts of Emilia Romagna, (Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia), and all Friuli, where she brings gifts to good children and coal to bad ones. Children are asked to leave some food for Lucia (a sandwich, or anything else available at the moment) and for the flying donkey that helps her carry gifts (flour, sugar, or salt), but they must not see Santa Lucia delivering gifts or she will throw ashes in their eyes, temporarily blinding them. In Sicily and among the Sicilian diaspora, cuccìa is eaten in memory of Saint Lucy's miraculous averting of famine.
[edit] United States
In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which is the successor church to hundreds of Scandinavian and German Lutheran congregations, St. Lucia is treated as a commemoration on December 13th, in which red vestments are worn. Usually, the Sunday in Advent closest to December 13th is set aside for St. Lucia, in which the traditional Scandinavian procession is observed.
[edit] Pre-Christian Practices and Sources
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There is evidence that practices associated with St. Lucy's Day, including the name itself, predate the adoption of Christianity by the Nordic peoples. The pre-Christian holiday of Yule, or jól, was celebrated in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. The winter solstice (longest night of winter darkness) was the mid-point between the equinoxes, and the long season of cold and dark brought about many practices that remain today. Although, from old times, the jól season was a time for feasting, drinking, gift-giving, family gatherings and jolly companionship with good neighbours, it was also a season of uneasiness and fear of the dark forces. There was the Lussi, and the scariest night of all, Lussinatta (Lussi Night). Little help is to be found in the modern concept of Santa Lucia to explain Lussi [1]. Popular tradition was rooted in a different custom and belief than the Christian St. Lucia.
The belief in Lussi was strongly connected to the carrying out of the work tasks. Again and again the lore prescribes that such and such work must be finished, or else the Lussi will come to punish. Lussi is conceived of as a woman, usually with evil traits, like a feminine demon. Such a spirit is also found in mid- and southern European mythologies[citation needed], and given the name of darkness, like Lucia die dunkle (the dark Lucia). Her contrast is Lucia die helle (the fair Lucia), a Christian take-over which is associated with Saint Lucia.
The old date for the Lussi Night is December 13th, regarded as the longest night of the year and associated with the solstice. That was carried over into the new era. Between Lussi night and jól all kinds of trolls were thought to be out and about. It was particularly dangerous to be out during Lussi Night. Children who had done mischief had to take special care, because Lussi could come down through the chimney and take them[citation needed]. The lore also tells about a whole Lussi group traveling past: the Lussiferda [1]. They were named as in a verse: Lisle-Ståli and Store-Ståli, Ståli Knapen and Tromli Harebakka, Sisill and Surill, Hektetryni and Botill. The Lussiferda could take people away, just like the Oskoreia or Jólaskreia could. This is another company of spirits (vetter), riding horses, which around yule-tide journey through air and over land and water, leaving eeriness and discomfort. Although not mentioned in any sources, it is very tempting to look at Father Christmas’ journey with his reindeer as a commercial relic inspired by such popular superstition.
The Saint Lucia tradition, then, is another example of Christianisation of pagan beliefs and customs. This Swedish tradition, which seems to have spread throughout the Western world, is probably an old culture-loan from Germany and explains the use of lights (Lucia from latin lux = light). Lucia adorned with the lights resembles the Christkindchen (Christ Child), who in certain parts of Germany wanders about in the community and entertains the children. This child is usually a costumed girl carrying a crown of lights. The name Saint Lucy given to this light procession tradition comes from the Italian saint who suffered a martyr’s death under the Roman Emperor Diocletian in Syracuse, Sicily around 300 AD, and whose memory was already celebrated by about 400 AD. In one of the stories associated with her legend, she was working to help Christians hiding in the catacombs. In order to bring with her as much food and drink as possible, she needed to have her hands free. She solved this problem by making a wreath to wear on her head on to which she attached lights. Thus she managed to see in the darkness of the catacombs.
There are traces of the legends of Saint Lucia even in the Nordic countries in the Middle Ages, and her day of remembrance is also December 13th (just like the Lussi). Yet another name is relevant here, namely Lucifer. His name has the same etymological background (the name literally means "light-bringer"). Once he was an angel of light, then he was dethroned and became the Prince of Darkness. Lussi was also conceived of as Adam’s first wife, and the ancestor of all fairies, goblins, little people – a Lilith-figure.
As with many other holidays and entities already in place in Europe before Christianity - e.g. Halloween (Samhain), Easter (Oester), Christmas (Yule), St. Brigit (Bride), Lussi and the practices of Jol were co-opted by the Christian church or popularly celebrated in a Christian context.
[edit] References
- (Swedish) article Lucia in Nordisk familjebok (1912)
Eriksson, Stig A. (2002). Christmas traditions and performance rituals: a look at Christmas celebrations in a Nordic context. 2002. Applied Theater Researcher. No. 3. 6/3
Nygaard, J. (1992). Teatrets historie i Europa. bind 1. Oslo: Spillerom.
NRK radio (2002). Språkteigen. NRK radio. December
[edit] External links
- Nordisk Familjebok, article Lucia Nordisk Familjebok, 1912 (Swedish)
- Lucia's Day in Scandinavia
- Lucia's Day in Sweden
- Catholic Culture: Memorial of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr
- "A Nocturnal upon Saint Lucy's Day," poem by John Donne (1572-1631)
