Saint Lucy's day is celebrated in Scandinavia on the 13th
of December. Acording to legend Lucia died as a marthyr in Syracuse,
Sicily around AD 310.
Norwegian schools and kindergartens have a procession of children dressed in white and
with crowns of candles on their head, singing the Lucia song. This tradition
stems from Lucia bringing "food and aid to Christians hiding in
the catacombs" using a candle-lit wreath to
"light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible.
Saint
Lucy's day predates the Christian tradition though, because it used to be the
longest night of the year due to the Julian Calendar that was in use at
that time. The pre-Christian holiday of Yule, or jól, was the most important holiday
in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. The Yule season was a time for
feasting, drinking, gift-giving, and gatherings, but also the season of
awareness and fear of the forces of the dark.
No comments:
Post a Comment