December 13th is a special day in Sweden. It is the day that the official countdown to Christmas begins, with the celebration of light, in the form of Sankta Lucia (St Lucy) whose name day it is today.

It can be hard for someone who does not live in the far north of the globe to understand what all the fuss is about. And I have been asked before what an Italian Catholic saint is doing strolling around a decidedly protestant and largely secular Sweden with her eyeballs intact? Good question.

As a country where the seasonal changes are so striking, the tradition of celebrating the end of the darkest period of the year goes back a very long way in time, certainly pre-dating Christianity in this region. According to the old Julian calendar (replaced by the Gregorian calendar in 1582), the winter solstice was on the 13th, so Lucia night was the longest of the year. It was believed that on this night, evil powers were at their greatest, so it was best to stay awake and be alert to avoid the Lord of Darkness. The end of this, the longest night, and the subsequent return of light could then be celebrated. Of course, the winter solstice is a week later these days, but the Lucia tradition lives on.




In the cold and dark mid-winter, our everyday lives really are brightened up by a celebration of light. All over Sweden, in private homes, in schools, daycare centres, offices, shopping malls, old folks' homes, hospitals and railway stations, young girls dressed in long white robes with a red sash around the waist, bearing a crown of lit candles on her head and carrying a sheaf of wheat fill the land with music and candle light. A certain sense of stillness sets over the country as people take the time to sit and listen to the well loved songs and share a snack of Lucia buns (rich, saffron rolls) and crisp ginger thins with a cup of coffee or perhaps a glass of warm spiced wine.




Darkness is an inherent part of December living in the North. The celebrations surrounding Lucia are a way of turning what could otherwise be a tiring and irksome period into one which instead feels both comforting and welcoming. This idea of stillness, soft music and a cup (or three) of mulled wine can be a tonic for the spirit and give us a welcome breather, so we are better prepared to face the hustle and bustle of the next couple of weeks leading up to Christmas. I agree with the many Swedes who feel that the absolute highlight of this pre-Christmas season is Lucia and I'd feel as though I'd missed out if I couldn't see at least one Lucia ceremony.




Today, Lucia is marked with candles and music. The tradition calls for a Lucia (or ‘Lusse Brud’ – Bride of Lusse) to be crowned and lead a procession of people dressed in white robes. In towns all of the country, these parades are held with the lucky girl chosen as Lucia wearing her crown of candles, being accompanied by girls with tinsel or leafy wreaths in their hair and star boys in tall, white hats, with everyone carrying candles and singing the traditional Lucia song.




The procession wends its way through town at dusk, making scheduled stops at various points to welcome Lucia. The procession's high point is at the church in an incredibly moving ceremony where the whole church is in darkness. We wait inside with expectation until Lucia, her candles burning brightly, walks through the darkened room to the altar. Her escorts form a semi-circle, with Lucia in the middle. They then sing a series of well known, traditional songs, usually with texts about Lucia being a bringer of light and also about Christmas. The Lucia procession is followed by coffee (or mulled wine) with saffron buns and ginger bread.





I've been to see Lucia every year since I've lived in Sweden and have always been moved by the simplicity and grace of the tradition. A beautiful, quiet way of ushering in this high season in the Christian calendar as well as reminding all of us that the darkness will soon be over and light will return to the north again.




England's great Romantic poet, John Donne, said it so in A nocturnall upon S. Lucies day, Being the shortest day:





There is quite an odd mixture of the pagan and the Christian traditions in the Nordic countries. Tomte, the Swedish equivalent of Santa Claus, used to be represented by the pagan goat, where offerings were made to this god in the darkest time of the year to bring the sun back. Light plays a significant role in many of the celebrations here and so it isn't terribly surprising that the patron saint of light and the blind should be part of the holiday tradition in spite of the Catholics having little success in establishing themselves in the Nordic lands.

We began our day in the traditional manner, with the man of the house being served breakfast in bed. Judging by the Cheshire cat grin I was greeted with, I think he could get very used to this idea! I came into the darkened room, bearing a tray with freshly baked saffron buns, hot coffee, glögg with raisins and almonds and gingersnaps. I didn't wear the crown of candles, but simply had my little moose candle holders each containing a lit with a tea light candle to represent the light. And yes, I did sing a few bars of the song, but me being me, I sang it as Santa Moose-i-a....




The recipe I used for the buns was one I got from Beverly several years ago. It's always perfect!

Traditional Lussekatter

Makes 36

50g fresh yeast or 12 g dry yeast
1g saffron
500 ml milk
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
200g margarine
6 cups flour + additional flour for kneading

Glaze:
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk

Mix your saffron threads with a tsp of the sugar and crush with a mortar and pestle until well mixed. Set aside. Melt the margarine in a medium saucepan. When melted, add the milk and heat until finger warm (around 37C or 98F).

Put the yeast in a bowl and pour over the buttery-milk, using your fingers to break up the yeast and mix it well. Add the salt and sugar, saffron, egg and then add 5 cups of the flour. You can never judge in advance how much you'll need as it depends on the absorption rate. I find it best to start with less and add it slowly afterwards. You are aiming for a soft dough, so add whatever you need from the remaining cup of flour, until the point where the dough just leaves the sides of the bowl. Cover with a clean tea-towel and leave the dough to rise for at least 30 minutes.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for a minute. Divide into three pieces as it is easier to work with. You ought to get 12 buns from each piece. Roll each into a "sausage" about 20cm (8 in) long. Shape the buns into a curly "S"-shape, tucking in the ends tightly and put a raisin in each end. Place the buns on a baking tray that has been greased or covered with parchment paper. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise again until double in size (about 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, preheat the oven 225C (450F).

Make the glaze by beating one egg with 3 tablespoons milk. Brush the tops of the buns with the glaze just prior to baking. Put them in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool, covered with a clean cloth on a rack.




These buns freeze very well. You can take them out as needed and zap them slightly in the microwave oven to warm them just before serving.

Now, if I could only get Pavarotti's Santa Lucia out of my head....