St. Lucia Day 2013December 13th is a very special day here in Denmark---it is St. Lucia Day (or St. Lucy's Day). This is celebrated mainly in Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland---as well as in Italy) although it is also observed in other places around the world (including our home state of Minnesota)!
St. Lucia was a saint from Sicily. The story is that St. Lucia (Lucy) loved to serve God and she would secretly bring food to the persecuted Christians in Rome, who were forced underground into the catacombs. Lucy would wear a crown of candles so she could have both hands free to carry food to the people in these dark places underground.
Michael and I attended a St. Lucia service this evening at the large Danish Lutheran church directly behind our flat. It was something special to actually be at a St. Lucia celebration IN Scandinavia!! I remember as a young girl going to a St. Lucia celebration at the Lutheran church in our hometown of Cokato, Minnesota and so it was meaningful to witness the celebration here in Copenhagen after so many years.
In the church ceremony, Saint Lucia (a young girl chosen from the community) begins the celebration with a procession down the aisle of the church along with many other young girls and some boys as well. The girl representing St. Lucia is wearing a crown of candles (real ones!) and is dressed in a white robe with red sash. The other young girls (a few boys as well) are also wearing the white robes and red sash and carrying a lit candle. As they come down the aisle of the church, they sing the traditional St. Lucia song (it sounded soooo beautiful and angelic!)
Also, St. Lucia precedes the winter solstice, when the shortest day of the year gives way to longer periods of daylight. The winters are dark here in Scandinavia (as we are experiencing first hand!) and the name Lucy means "light" so it is a celebration of the light overcoming the darkness.
Even though we couldn't understand much that was said in the service (it was in Danish), we appreciate being able to share in the tradition of St. Lucia Day and all that it represents.
Below are a few more photos of a St. Lucia Day celebration here in Copenhagen.
