Lucia Sweden

Update: There are now subtitles for every song. Excerpts from SVT and TV4 broadcasts from Lucia 2015. Participating are students from music classes in Gothenburg and Växjö. Short background: Lucia (Saint Lucy’s Day) is celebrated in Scandinavia December 13. In Scandinavia (as late as until the mid 18th century) this night was the longest night of the year, coinciding with Winter Solstice, this was due to the Julian Calendar being employed at that time. In pre-Christian Sweden Lussinatta, the Lussi Night, was marked this night. Then Lussi, a female being with evil traits, like a female demon or witch, was said to ride through the air with her followers, called Lussiferda. This itself might be an echo of the myth of the Wild Hunt, called Oskoreia in Scandinavia, found across Northern, Western and Central Europe. Between Lussi Night and Yule, trolls and evil spirits, in some accounts also the spirits of the dead, were thought to be active outside. It was believed to be particu