My life as a cat

Important Announcement

The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More

Lucia is a festival ocurring on 13th of December. Lucia is a young girl, often blond, wearing a white garment and a red ribbon tied round her waist. She has a crown with candles on her head. A number of girl attendants are following her, also dressed in white garments and candles in their hands. There are also boys participating the ceremony. They too are dressed in white and wear caps with golden stars on. Lucia and her attendants visit hospitals, schools, offices and sing traditional songs such as Santa Lucia. They also bring coffee, gingerbread, saffron buns and sometimes bon-bons. The tradition is based on a legend of a pious girl from Sicilia. She wanted to devote her life to God instead of getting married. When she refused a proposal from a nobelman she was killed. Subsequently she became a martyr.

This too is a tradition brought by the Germans several hundred years ago. Every year a Lucia is elected to represent Sweden, but every town and also many schools choose their own Lucia to represent them.

Graphics from http://www.graphicgarden.com/

Lucia song

The night goes with weighty step
round yard and steading
round earth, the sun departs
leave the woods brooding
There in our dark house'
appears with lighted candles
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia

The night goes great and mute
now on hears its wings
in every silent room
murmurs as if from wings
Look at her treshold stands
white-clad with lights in her hair
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia

The darkness shall soon depart
from the earth's valleys
thus she speaks
a wonderful word for us
The day shall rise anew
from the rosy sky
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia

This wellknown tune is an Italian melody by Teodoro Cottrau (1827 - 79) The Swedish text was written by Sigrid Elmblad in 1924.

Listen to the Lucia tune!

http://hem.passagen.se/jesa/jullucia.html

Graphics from http://www.graphicgarden.com/

Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
My life as a cat	[email protected]