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