I may be a couple hours late but I've been awake all day and I say this still counts as December 13.

[infintysquared]

I grew up Swedish, with a good Swedish community. Waukegan even hosted the Swedish Glee Club for many years until it folded, and even today the bullheaded old Swedes are still singing without the clubhouse

Comments

[browngirl]

Thank you for posting this; today more than ever I needed the light.

I wrote a poem about Saint Lucia some years ago (I'm not Scandinavian at all, I found her inspiring) and I'll share it with you if you like.

(Here from thnidu's link)

[infintysquared]

Cool, please do. It's good to find inspiration in other cultures - Lucia was Italian, after all!

But I always love the story of the longest, darkest night of midwinter during a famine, and there across a lake come Lucia and her court, all garbed in white, Lucia bedecked with candles, bearing a silver tray with enough food to last through the winter.

I am no longer a man of faith, but I do find inspiration from the stories and traditions.

"Light-Bringer"

[browngirl]

by browngirl. :)

The night of Winter Solstice, the longest of the year,
The earth bereft of sun-warmth, the darkness cold and drear;
Then, shining on our threshold, Saint Lucy radiant stands,
Her crown of glowing candles, a star bright in her hands.

Against the winter's power the Sun could not hold fast;
What hope have our small candles, before the darkness vast?
But Lucia Light-Bearer this reassurance brings:
The Sun shall rise in glory on incandescent wings.

Though summer's gone to ashes, warmth infinitely far,
She bears the shining promise, the candle and the star;
So when each year's flame gutters, deep in the darkest night,
Aglow against the shadows, Saint Lucy brings us light.

[infintysquared]

That works so well spoken aloud, which is the main measure of how well I enjoy poetry. Thank you.

[browngirl]

*curtseys* Thank you very much. *beams* I wrote this to a hymn tune as a way of weaving the meter into it.

The poem goes with this image which my friend drew for me. She grew up with the celebration of Saint Lucia, and it means a lot to me that she approved of my idea enough to draw it.

And yes, just reading about the procession, the light out of darkness, gives me happy chills. I hope one day to be fortunate enough to see one.

*stops babbling and blushes*

[infintysquared]

See if there's a Vasa group near you. That's basically the Swedish-American national cultural organization. They'd be able to tell you more on specific dates, probably for next year but you might get lucky and see a combined Lucia/Christmas pageant this weekend.