New locks and a traditional parade
Today, new locks and stuff will be installed in my house. I wonder if I'll get in tonight.
I tried out the new high-tech electronic badge device this morning and the light flashed green. Since the door wasn't locked, it was sort of hard to tell if it REALLY worked, but I hope it does, cos otherwise I'll be locked out tonight and that will NOT be fun.
Apparently, I have been chosen as the office's Lucia of this year. For non-swedes, this means absolutely nothing, to Swedes it brings a whole lot of connotations.
You see, Swedes, for some odd reason, celebrate a rather obscure Italian saint on the 13th of December. Despite being a protestant and also, on the whole, a very secular country.
Now, Lucia parades include one (1) Lucia, dressed in a white nightgown with a red silky belt and a crown of candles in her hair. He hands are supposed to be held as if in prayer. Then she's got maids, all dressed in similar nightgowns but with silvery glitter in their hair, silvery glitter belts and holding a candle. After that, Lucia has some sort of male servants/stable hands, represented by "star lads" (yes, that's the closest translation I can get to) dressed in white nightgowns with no belts but with a white pointy hat sporting at least three silver stars. They're also carrying a stick with a silver star on. Then there are usually "tomtar" which are a crossing between Santa Claus and gnomes, and possibly also Gingerbread men.
The poor sod dressed as St Lucia (aka me) will lead this procession of unfortunates into the church/lunch room/town square where certain traditional songs will be sung and glögg, pepparkakor and lussekatter will be consumed. Possibly also coffee.
Now, I've never in my LIFE been the only Lucia in a Lucia parade. I have been dressed up as Lucia during the "equal opportunity" days of Kindergarten when everyone dressed up as whatever character they wanted, but since then, I have been relegated to the role of maid or Santa Claus/gnome. The time I was actually one of the "main maids" and had a poem to read (I was maid no 2) I got a severe cough just two days before which only got worse, and on the Big Day, I coughed so violently I blew out my candle and had to be led "off stage".
So, apparently, at age 30, I will now avenge all my prior Lucia disasters. Better late then never, I suppose. Although now I actually begged for a more behind-the-scenes role, but since my head was the only one small enough to fit the electric-light Lucia headpiece....
I might also add that Lucia is a Big Thing (TM) here. Instead of having Miss [insert town name here] or homecoming queens and such, we have Lucia of the Year. I won't be competing for that of course, but a lot of girls DREAM about getting to dress up as Lucia and head the parade. In school I was neither pretty enough nor popular enough to even compete about the Lucia position. Later on, I felt more vaguely disgusted by the whole "Well, the rest of em can be good singers, but the Lucia only needs to stand there and look pretty" thing.
Now being the rabid femi-nazi I am, and bear in mind, this is more like a LAEL company joke parade thingy, I found myself staring at the gilded Lucia crown with mixed feelings. Sometimes, when you get things you once really wanted, especially if it's 20 years later, it has totally lost its original glow.
EDIT: Proper Lucia parade pic
And cos I knew you were dying to know, a "Star Lad" (TM)
Also: Glögg is Swedish Glühwein, more or less, but it's sweeter, stronger and spicier. Pepparkakor = Gingerbread cookies, although ours seem to be spicier :p Luesskatter = soft sweet wheat bread with saffron and raisins.
I tried out the new high-tech electronic badge device this morning and the light flashed green. Since the door wasn't locked, it was sort of hard to tell if it REALLY worked, but I hope it does, cos otherwise I'll be locked out tonight and that will NOT be fun.
Apparently, I have been chosen as the office's Lucia of this year. For non-swedes, this means absolutely nothing, to Swedes it brings a whole lot of connotations.
You see, Swedes, for some odd reason, celebrate a rather obscure Italian saint on the 13th of December. Despite being a protestant and also, on the whole, a very secular country.
Now, Lucia parades include one (1) Lucia, dressed in a white nightgown with a red silky belt and a crown of candles in her hair. He hands are supposed to be held as if in prayer. Then she's got maids, all dressed in similar nightgowns but with silvery glitter in their hair, silvery glitter belts and holding a candle. After that, Lucia has some sort of male servants/stable hands, represented by "star lads" (yes, that's the closest translation I can get to) dressed in white nightgowns with no belts but with a white pointy hat sporting at least three silver stars. They're also carrying a stick with a silver star on. Then there are usually "tomtar" which are a crossing between Santa Claus and gnomes, and possibly also Gingerbread men.
The poor sod dressed as St Lucia (aka me) will lead this procession of unfortunates into the church/lunch room/town square where certain traditional songs will be sung and glögg, pepparkakor and lussekatter will be consumed. Possibly also coffee.
Now, I've never in my LIFE been the only Lucia in a Lucia parade. I have been dressed up as Lucia during the "equal opportunity" days of Kindergarten when everyone dressed up as whatever character they wanted, but since then, I have been relegated to the role of maid or Santa Claus/gnome. The time I was actually one of the "main maids" and had a poem to read (I was maid no 2) I got a severe cough just two days before which only got worse, and on the Big Day, I coughed so violently I blew out my candle and had to be led "off stage".
So, apparently, at age 30, I will now avenge all my prior Lucia disasters. Better late then never, I suppose. Although now I actually begged for a more behind-the-scenes role, but since my head was the only one small enough to fit the electric-light Lucia headpiece....
I might also add that Lucia is a Big Thing (TM) here. Instead of having Miss [insert town name here] or homecoming queens and such, we have Lucia of the Year. I won't be competing for that of course, but a lot of girls DREAM about getting to dress up as Lucia and head the parade. In school I was neither pretty enough nor popular enough to even compete about the Lucia position. Later on, I felt more vaguely disgusted by the whole "Well, the rest of em can be good singers, but the Lucia only needs to stand there and look pretty" thing.
Now being the rabid femi-nazi I am, and bear in mind, this is more like a LAEL company joke parade thingy, I found myself staring at the gilded Lucia crown with mixed feelings. Sometimes, when you get things you once really wanted, especially if it's 20 years later, it has totally lost its original glow.
EDIT: Proper Lucia parade pic
And cos I knew you were dying to know, a "Star Lad" (TM)
Also: Glögg is Swedish Glühwein, more or less, but it's sweeter, stronger and spicier. Pepparkakor = Gingerbread cookies, although ours seem to be spicier :p Luesskatter = soft sweet wheat bread with saffron and raisins.