Imagine early morning before sunrise when all is dark. All of a sudden, there is a faint singing in the distance and the doorway is lit up by a woman in a long white gown, wearing a wreath with candles on her head. Lucia, her maidens, and the “star boys” follow and bring light, joyful singing, coffee and sweet saffron rolls.
Christmas and the advent weeks is when we feel the most homesick, but we are lucky to live in Chicago, where the Swedish community is big enough for my kids to participate in one of the many Lucia celebrations. Today, the Chicago Lucia will be at Daley Plaza at 11:30 and in Andersonville, the Swedish neighborhood, in the evening. (See the Swedish American Museum for event details.) We had the pleasure of seeing and hearing three Lucia processions a couple of weekends ago at the Swedish American Museum Christmas Market where we had a funflector booth. It was a joy to see my 10-year old twins as “tärna” (maid) and “stjärngosse” (star boy) and my 13-year-old as Lucia with all their friends from Swedish School. It felt like being back in Sweden with the right music, food and ambiance – and parents taking pictures.
Watch today’s Lucia on Swedish Television. It is available until January 11th, 2013. Enjoy!
Elisabeth