We woke up today to the news that Alexandra, the younger daughter of our friends Ulf and Maggan had been voted as Nynäshamn's Lucia for 2005!



I'm really not surprised that she won as she is a lovely girl, with many friends and a quiet confidence and poise that is very endearing. It was also nice to know that our votes helped her to win the title of this year's queen of light.

I talked about the tradition of Lucia last year and the year before, so I won't repeat it again. However, it still remains one of my most loved Swedish Christmas customs.

There is one amusing story concerning the Nobel Prize winners and Lucia that is worth mentioning. As a surprise, each winner is woken in his hotel bed early on the morning of the prize giving ceremony by a procession consisting of Stockholm's Lucia and her attendants. They enter each prize winner's room wearing white gowns, with a red sash around their waists and Lucia herself has a crown of lingonberry leaves on her head, with seven white candles set into the foliage. They come in singing Sankta Lucia, bearing the traditional breakfast of glögg and warm saffron buns.

And by "as a surprise", I mean the prize winners were not told in advance that this would happen. Apparently, the Irish writer, Seamus Heaney, who won the literature prize in 1995 had been out on the town the night before and partaken of one or two rounds of irish whisky (purely for medicinal purposes, I believe). For some reason, he became alarmed when he was woken at sparrow's fart by a woman wearing a crown of lit candles - funny about that! It caused quite a stir and the result was that now the prize winners are told in advance that this will happen. You wouldn't want to be caught with your rollers in your hair and your night cream plastered on your face.

Today, Lucia and her attendants have been singing in various locations in Nynäshamn. Later this evening will be the big Luciatåg or parade through town, culminating in a concert at the church, celebrating the imminent return of the light over the next few weeks.

I have been reading a bit of criticism about Lucia in the Stockholm daily papers. People are expressing the view that these days the true spirit and meaning of Lucia has been lost and that the new Lucia is more a beauty contest rather than anything else. I can't comment on what happens in Stockholm as I wasn't involved in it, but here in Nynäs, the girls are nominated based on their singing abilities and community contributions and involvement. Sure, you can argue that Alexandra is a classic Nordic beauty, with her blonde hair, blue eyes and lovely healthy complexion. But that is not all there is to her - she is a warm, intelligent, well spoken and confident young woman and we are all proud to have her for our Queen of Light.



And anyway, as you can see from the above picture taken two and a half years ago that she loves Lambi (and the feeling is mutual) - that makes her a very discerning person and an ideal candidate.

Now I'm off to see the parade....