Festival of Lights
The coming of light is often cause for celebration ...
In Sweden, that's why there's joy and frivolity every 13
December. It's Luciafest --- the Festival of Lights --- that
marks the unofficial beginning of their Christmas season.
Luciafest --- also known as 'St Lucia Day' or, simply, 'Lucia'
--- didn't have its origins in the Christian tradition, but like
a number of unique Christian festivals in Europe, it was used to
'meld' their religious message into the lore of a revered pagan
legend for the purpose of increasing its own popularity. Easter,
for example, arose from the Germanic fertility rituals of each
year's new Spring season --- ergo, the Easter Bunny and Easter
eggs --- and their calendaric proximity to the Resurrection.
Christian missionaries were very clever at utilizing this tactic
for the purpose of assimilating their faith into regional
cultures and, as we see today, the results were most effective.
In this instance, nobody remembers pagan rights of Spring
anymore; Easter has totally overtaken the occasion.
Meanwhile, back in the north, long arctic nights in pre-Viking
times coaxed fireside tales from elders of even harsher times
before, when famine spread throughout south central Sweden. It
is said that, as the darkest day of the year personnified the
foreboding fate of mass starvation, a glow grew on the horizon
of the great Lake Vaettern. Rays of light pierced the darkness
as precursors of hope, eventually revealing a longship, laden
with foodstuffs and guided by a blonde maiden in a flowing white
gown. This spirit of mercy arrived not a moment too soon, and
frigid devastation gave way to enlightened renewal.
Before the Julian calendar was replaced by the Gregorian
calendar in the 1300s, the longest night/shortest day of the
year was 13 December. Thus, this Maiden of Mercy became symbolic
for the gradual lengthening of daylight that followed each
successive new dawn.
Coincidentally, a similar legend was told in the Sicilian city
of Syracuse. There, during the sixth century, forlorn locals
gathered in their cathedral for prayers to St Lucia --- a nun
who was martyred in 304 AD and whose very name meant 'light' ---
when a miracle occurred in the form of a ship entering their
harbor, carrying a cargo of food. Some scholars believe that the
Goths --- forerunners to the Vikings who originated in western
Sweden --- imparted that tale to southern Europe, where the
local folk put a 'Christian' spin on it to accommodate their
beliefs. However it happened, another melding of pagan lore and
Christian ritual had begun its germination.
Meanwhile, back in Sweden, the western province of Halland saw
this fable take iconic life in a tradition of young girls in
white robes who traversed the snow and ice, torches in hand,
carrying baked goods and warm greetings to homesteads throughout
the countryside during the darkness of each 13 December. Other
provinces took note and adopted the practice. Ultimately, these
girls became festooned with crowns of lingonberry leaves and
candles to further symbolize the coming of light. Somewhere else
along the way, a red sash was added as an adornment, and the
full costume of the 'Lucia bride' was complete.
Christianity first came to Sweden during the final throes of the
Viking era in the eleventh century. As generations passed, the
saintly image of Lucia became intertwined into the Swedish fable
and further ebbed into their wintry custom. The local churches
had noted the legend's popularity and welcomed its theme of
giving which underscored the Lucia celebration. They ultimately
incorporated it into their annual rota, which in turn increased
their recognition and acceptance by more and more local souls.
Finally, in 1927, Luciafest was acknowledged in the royal halls
of Stockholm and a national tradition was cemented.
Today, electric lights have replaced candles in the maiden's
crown and entourages of younger handmaidens (taernor) and
starboys (stjaerngossar) now assist her. Each home may have its
own Lucia celebration, but the event's highlight is when each
village and city neighborhood 'elects' a Lucia, who then leads
her procession to a common service, accompanied by song and a
buffet of pastries. These include the traditional 'lussekatter'
--- saffron-flavored buns shaped like curled-up cats, with
raisins for eyes --- and pepparkakor (ginger snaps) which are
accompanied by refreshments such as 'gloegg' --- a hot spiced
wine --- or coffee.
Needless to say, Luciafest remains as a uniquely Swedish
national holiday. The household celebration takes place before
dawn, the civic galas and church services occupy the abbreviated
daylight hours, and for those who want to make the most of the
occasion, the 'Lucia wake' takes the most party-hardy of souls
well into the long Swedish night.
It's quite possible that, during the latter part of that
program, another Swedish spirit may appear. This is a
high-octane grain- or potato-based libation that can well and
truly addle a mind, even to the point where vestiges of other
pagan-era Lucia apparitions may be conjured. As late as the
Middle Ages, a prevalent belief was that Lucia Night hosted the
ravages of ghosts and goblins, with animals becoming enchanted
so as to speak to them.
In those instances, given enough aquavit, what the church
tooketh away, the spirit broughteth back.