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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> Lucia Day
        
(Message started by: sandie99 on Dec 13^th, 2007, 3:16am)

Title: Lucia Day
Post by sandie99 on Dec 13^th, 2007, 3:16am

Today Finland and especially the Finnish-Swedish people will celebrate Lucia Day or St. Lucy's Day as some of you might have heard about it. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Lucy's_Day

Back in here a young woman from a Finnish-Swedish family will be selected to be a Lucia. She will be crowned tonight by our former prime minister. Lucia will get a crown made of burning candles and she will wear that crown every time she is seen in public. She has a special white gown and will lead tonight a special parade titled Lucia Parade. :)

The parade will take place in Helsinki and when I was younger, we often went to see it. It's a beautiful sight and kids love it!
http://www.axis-of-aevil.net/img/2003_12/stlucia-2003.jpg

I've been part of Lucia's entourage back at high school; my Swedish teacher picked one tall girl to be Lucia and the rest of us girls were her party. It was kind of fun to wear a white dress and walk from class room to class room and sing Lucia Song (we sang it in Swedish) to everyone. The only bad thing was that we all had to carry a real candle in our hands and the hot wax is not that nice when it falls to your hand while you're singing!

Sanna

Title: Re: Lucia Day
Post by Kevin_M on Dec 13^th, 2007, 8:28am

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Schwedische_Kinder_beim_Luciafest.jpg/180px-Schwedische_Kinder_beim_Luciafest.jpg

Awwwww

Quote:

Even if already from old times the jól season was a time for the awaiting of good food and drink and gifts, family gatherings and jolly companionship with good neighbours, it was also a season of uneasiness and fear of the dark forces.

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 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.

Wiki gives many reasons for celebration but this one is scary. ;;D Reminds me of my mother telling me that as a kid, the book "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson spread a fear among children when it was read, like Freddie Kruger of the movies.

Title: Re: Lucia Day
Post by Rosybabe on Dec 13^th, 2007, 12:11pm

I love the song ;;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTbvKrH0FB4

Title: Re: Lucia Day
Post by Kevin_M on Dec 13^th, 2007, 12:28pm

Quote:

Children who had done mischief had to take special care, because Lussi could come down through the chimney and take them.

Reading this, the first thing I imagined was the news story about it happening.

"Ohhh, my little Skippy, he was sucked up the chimney. He was such a good boy.

The mother's child was remanded to the Helsinki Psychiatric Center for examination after her child's sudden disappearance on the night of Dec. 13th.

;;D

Have a happy family time, Sanna. :)

Title: Re: Lucia Day
Post by sandie99 on Dec 13^th, 2007, 2:09pm

Thank you, Kevin. :)

Rosy, that's the song we sang in Swedish back in school. :) I've learned it by heart, and I still recall most of it.

Sanna

Title: Re: Lucia Day
Post by M.R. on Dec 13^th, 2007, 3:02pm

Happy Lucia day to you also, Sanna

But damn...

Quote:

That's even better than a Dingo ate my baby....lol.

Mike

Title: Re: Lucia Day
Post by Charlie on Dec 13^th, 2007, 9:04pm

Oh. Oh. I almost missed it!

Love it Sandie and some Swedes here in Jamestown, NY, still celebrate. Lutheran Churches, especially. No longer real candles but they do have fun.

Thanks Sandie. 8)

Charlie

Title: Re: Lucia Day
Post by sandie99 on Dec 14^th, 2007, 6:07am

You're welcome, Charlie. :)

Our Lucia has real candles, so she needs be extra careful. I read the interview about her and she said that she practiced the walk wíth her high crown a lot - she was worried how to enter the room with her crown; it's not that simple, because those candles are high.

Sanna

Title: Re: Lucia Day
Post by sandie99 on Dec 14^th, 2007, 6:11am

Pics of this year's Lucia Day:
http://kuvat.iltalehti.fi/viihde/lucia2_vi.jpg

http://kuvat.iltalehti.fi/viihde/lucia3SP_vi.jpg

This year's Lucia is called Frida Andersson, she is 19 years old. Part of her duties as Lucia will be to visit old folkes homes, childrens homes, prisons, hospitals and other charity functions.

Sanna

Title: Re: Lucia Day
Post by Kevin_M on Dec 14^th, 2007, 7:24am

Nice court of surrounding lovelies. A friendly smile and 'parade wave'.

Happy jol season!