Light Festivals and Santa Lucia

By Hana Jang, Year 9, Ian Jang, Year 10, and Sean Jang

This past week, we experienced a cultural diversity week at LGB and the day of Santa Lucia was celebrated on the 13th of December.

Have any of you visited the light festivals Lausanne Lumières or the Fête des lumières Lyon in France? If you have not, we highly recommend you visit. It is another reason for you to see how light festivals can enhance joy and happiness for many of us. Simply magnificent! 

I grew up listening to Santa Lucia Three Tenors by three legendary opera singers Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras. The legendary Enrico Caruso’s Santa Lucia might be one of the most popular records of the century. I remember entering my classmate Nicole’s class at LGB when my friend Anastasia and her mother gave a presentation on Santa Lucia at the beginning of December. They wore long white robes with a red sash, crowned with a wreath of lighted candles. It was very interesting to hear about Scandinavian culture and light festivals. Light festivals are still held to celebrate Santa Lucia, on the 13th of December all around the world. 

Festivals of Light 

There are many types of light festivals that occur annually around the world, many of them are to celebrate religions and some are organised events of a country. Christmas, Hanukkah, St. Lucie’s Day, Diwali, and Lantern Festivals are examples of religious festivals. Among these festivals, the most mesmerizing light festivals occurring in locations around the world are known to be the Macau Light Festival, Fête des Lumières in Lyon, Pingxi Lantern Festival in Taipei, Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai, Vivid in Sydney, Amsterdam Light Festival, and Birgu Fest in Malta. Below are some photos of light festivals around the world. On your next trip you might want to visit one of them. Though it is canceled this year, a fascinating light festival nearby is in Montpellier, France which will be occurring in 2022. We recommend you visit Lausanne’s beautiful Fête des Lumières, which will last until the 24th of December, and enjoy walking around with your family. 

Festivals of light have been observed to celebrate the festive season regardless of the pandemic period, of course social distancing and other protective measures were maintained to ensure everyone’s safety. With Covid certificates and vaccinations, we are grateful to be able to celebrate and enjoy the festive season outside with friends and family this year.

Origin

St. Lucie’s Day Celebration 

“Lucy Light, The Shortest day & The Longest Night.”

Santa Lucia represents the triumph of light over the winter’s darkness. St. Lucia’s Day, December 13, is sometimes called “The Swedish Festival of Lights.” Santa Lucia originated from Swedish culture. Every year around the time of December, Swedes and other Scandinavian populations, with actual or spiritual ties to Sweden, celebrate St. Lucia’s Day. Many church groups hold traditional Lucia pageants, with a teenage girl portraying the Saint, clothed in a white robe and red sash, crowned with a wreath of lighted candles.

Saint Lucia’s Day, also called the Feast of Saint Lucy, is a Christian feast day observed to commemorate Lucia of Syracuse, an early 4th century virgin martyr, a young Sicilian girl, St. Lucia under the Diocletianic Persecution. Her name and story reached Sweden through Germany along with Christianity, and she remained popular even after the Reformation as the bringer of light during the long darkness of winter. According to legend, she wore a candle lit wreath on her head to light her way and leave her hands free so as to carry as much food and aid as possible to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs. Her feast day coincided with the shortest day of the year prior to calendar reforms.

The first public Lucia celebration was held in Stockholm in 1927. The Swedish American Museum describes Santa Lucia tradition as one where almost every town in Sweden chooses one girl to be that year’s “Lucia girl” and lead the town’s Lucia parade. The chosen girl wears a floor-length white robe with a red sash around her waist, and a ring of lingonberry sprigs on her head. Many gather together to sing Christmas carols and the traditional Lucia Song. Individual families give the duty to the oldest daughter to sing and serve the family saffron buns and pepparkakor (traditional spiced Swedish cookies). St Lucia’s Day is not only celebrated in Scandinavian cultures, but in Italy as well.

Santa Lucia Tradition for Swedish Culture

Interviews have been done with the Swedish Community at LGB to elaborate on their tradition and yearly experience.

Flora Lepage (Year 9) describes Santa Lucia:

To me, Santa Lucia means my Swedish childhood. On the 13th of December, my sister and I as well as all of the other children, would wake up early, put on our white dresses and candles in our hair, and get ready to sing for our parents, school, and many others. 

During the Santa Lucia festival, in school, all of the girls and boys would stand in a line dressed up in white dresses and each hold one candle. Then one girl would be chosen to be the “Lucia”, she would be the only girl wearing a candle crown in her hair and she would be at the front of the line. Then, we would go around the school and to other places like the elderly home across the street. 

Swedish Carol Sing-Along

Below is a Swedish carol followed by an English translation for you to enjoy. We hope you hear the melody that represents the long nights and returning of daylight. A midi file and music are also attached for you to listen and sing along:

Midi of Santa Lucia

Sheet Music of Santa Lucia