St. Lucia - Christmas in Norway
First time I am playing along with Sundays in the City...(how FUN!) Today we celebrated St.Lucia in our little Norwegian town...
13th December every year is the celebration of St Lucia (or St Lucy) – a festival
widely celebrated across Scandinavia. Girls dress in white robes and carry candles in a long procession and sing the hymn about Lucia. The candles symbolise the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned.
Traditionally a Catholic festival, it is thought that this tradition survived in Scandinavia because it is celebrated during the very dark days of winter.
Some people believe that back in the day when Scandies celebrated Yule (or Jul) at Winter Solstice, it was both a season of giving, kindness and celebration - but also a season of fear of dark forces – the scariest night of all at that time was called the Night of Lussi – Lussinatta. Some believe that the festival of light is from this time to fend off the evil forces.
We celebrated St.Lucia this evening with all of our new neighbors.... The kids marched in a parade...sang songs & ate pepperkake & drank hot chocolate.
It seems like I am F I N A L L Y getting the hang of a Scandinavian Christmas...
widely celebrated across Scandinavia. Girls dress in white robes and carry candles in a long procession and sing the hymn about Lucia. The candles symbolise the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned. Traditionally a Catholic festival, it is thought that this tradition survived in Scandinavia because it is celebrated during the very dark days of winter.
Some people believe that back in the day when Scandies celebrated Yule (or Jul) at Winter Solstice, it was both a season of giving, kindness and celebration - but also a season of fear of dark forces – the scariest night of all at that time was called the Night of Lussi – Lussinatta. Some believe that the festival of light is from this time to fend off the evil forces.
We celebrated St.Lucia this evening with all of our new neighbors.... The kids marched in a parade...sang songs & ate pepperkake & drank hot chocolate.
It seems like I am F I N A L L Y getting the hang of a Scandinavian Christmas...
Comments
I would hate to be the one with the lit candles on my head, though.
Those are fabulous photos of your kids, I love your daughter's smile :-)
Thanks for sharing your Sunday.
xo
I am bj...just stopping by from SITS...Have a wonderful day...
xo bj
I live in Wuppertal, near Cologne. My boyfriend is American and I'm gonna go back to California in January. We wanna live in Germany though. It's kinda complicated right now but we hope that our plans work out :) Have a GREAT DAY!!!!!! and I hope you'll stop by again!
Found you above me on SITS and I am now following!