Lucia
Sankta Lucia, or Saint Lucy's day, is celebrated across Scandinavia every December 13th with a festival of light and song. Quite why an Italian Catholic martyr is venerated in Lutheran Sweden is something of a mystery, but coming just before midwinter Lucia brings light and hope at the darkest time of year.
To symbolise this message of light, Lucia herself wears a crown of candles (yes, real candles!) and as a sign of her martyrdom a blood red sash around her waist. Her female followers carry candles too, and her male followers or "star boys" wear tall paper hats and hold stars on sticks. Small children dress as gingerbread people and sing the traditional gingerbread song.
Rebecka has been running St Lucia processions in and around Exeter since 2003, leading a choir of Scandinavian ex-pats and locals in a repertoire of Swedish Lucia songs both traditional and modern. The main Lucia procession is always held on December the 13th, and there are usually other performances around the same time.
If you would like to join the Lucia singers next year, or would like to be notifies when tickets go on sale, please sign up to the Lucia mailing list. If you would like a Lucia-themed workshop for your school or community group, contact Rebecka.