Swedish Lucia: The Night of Light

Excerpts from SVT and TV4 broadcasts from Lucia 2015. Participating are students from music classes in Gothenburg and Växjö. Short background: Lucia (Saint Lucy's Day) is celebrated in Scandinavia December 13. In Scandinavia (as late as until the mid 18th century) this night was the longest night of the year, coinciding with Winter Solstice, this was due to the Julian Calendar being employed at that time.



In pre-Christian Sweden Lussinatta, the Lussi Night, was marked this night. Then Lussi, a female being with evil traits, like a female demon or witch, was said to ride through the air with her followers, called Lussiferda. This itself might be an echo of the myth of the Wild Hunt, called Oskoreia in Scandinavia, found across Northern, Western and Central Europe. Between Lussi Night and Yule, trolls and evil spirits, in some accounts also the spirits of the dead, were thought to be active outside. It was believed to be particularly dangerous to be out during Lussi Night.





According to tradition, children who had done mischief had to take special care, since Lussi could come down through the chimney and take them away, and certain tasks of work in the preparation for Yule had to be finished, or else the Lussi would come to punish the household. The tradition of Lussevaka – to stay awake through the Lussinatt to guard oneself and the household against evil, has found a modern form through throwing parties until daybreak. Later, Christian missionaries arrived in Scandinavia to evangelize the local population, carrying the commemoration of Saint Lucy (Lucia of Syracuse), a young Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution, and this story of a young girl bringing light in the midst of darkness no doubt held great meaning for people who, in the midst of a North Sea December, were longing for the relief of warmth and light.




Songs: Luciasången - Santa Lucia 00:00 Betlehems Stjärna - Star of Bethlehem 02:16 Strålande Helgonfé - Luminous Saint 05:20 Rederliga Män - Orderly Men 09:16 Så Mörk Är Natten - How Dark Is The Night 12:24 Medeltida Mariavisa - Medieval Maria Ballad 14:33 Koppången 18:05 Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul - Yule, Yule, Glorious Yule 21:56 Luciasången - Santa Lucia (in Italian) 24:39

"It went against my fear"

Enskede Farm's gymnasium shared a film from Lucia celebration on social media and Seif Aldaffai is happy for the positive response he received.



- It feels good actually that anyone can be Lucia, it doesn't matter which sex you have or which country you come from.



But it was not obvious to him to ask for Luciakronan.

- You have a pride as a guy and I first thought "it should not be so" but I like to go against my fear and just do it. For me this is fucking brave, I did it and it was a nice result, I got nice comments.