Dec
13
Let There Be Trains and Buns
Filed under Christmas, Food + Drink, Traditions
The day is coming to an end in Sweden, although the sun set long ago at 3:25 p.m. Yes, our days now are 75% darkness. But today is a day of light, for today is Luciadagen, Saint Lucia’s Day. In short (because you can read the long version on Wikipedia), modern-day Sweden celebrates Lucia with two very distinct traditions.
Luciatåg
Literally translated as Lucia train (choo choo!), Luciatåg is actually centered around a choir concert in which girls and boys dressed in white gowns process–like a train–into the darkened room with lit candles while singing “Sankta Lucia.” One girl is designated as Saint Lucia herself and bears a wreath of candles on her head. The other girls wear plain wreaths, and the boys, known as stjärngossar or star boys, wear dunce caps and carry staffs with stars attached to the ends. Warning, those caps can cause problems in areas with low ceilings… Concerts usually consist of other songs relating to Lucia herself as well as songs about the season.
Luciatåg come in all sizes:
- Small–The company I work for has a long-standing tradition of inviting singers from one of the Chalmers University choirs in on the morning of. So this morning, we were treated to a 20-minute concert from about 10 singers, men and women.
- Medium–My Swedeheart sang in an audition-based choir for high school-aged kids back in the day, and that 70-person group gives a concert every year.
- Large–In Gothenburg, there is a very large annual event in which seven women are voted upon by SMS as to whom will be crowned Lucia at the concert. Gigantic banners (we’re talkin’ at least 10 feet tall) with their faces and voting numbers are hung in the mall during the weeks leading up to Luciadagen.
Lussekatter
Directly translated as Lucifer cats (this oughta be good, right?), lussekatter are actually saffron buns shaped in the form of a reverse S with a raisin in the middle of each curly-que. This tradition stems from Germany in which Lucifer, i.e. the Devil, went around in the guise of a cat and gave children a spanking while Jesus handed out buns to good kids. Thanks to the infusion of saffron, the buns gave off a bright gold color to keep Lucifer away.
Unfortunately for our weight, Lussekatter are found in bakeries and stores during the entire Christmas season and not just on its special day. But given that I have a very high metabolism, I’m eating them at every chance! And kudos to Sweden for having days dedicated to saffron buns and waffles.
So if you’re feeling down during these dark days, light a candle in your room and enjoy a baked good. The combo is sure to lift your spirits.
I went to a St. Lucia party last night where the host and others were performing Scandinavian music. They also had saffron buns, glögg, and the crown of candles(safe with only light bulbs).
Fun times!
Fantastic, Alissa! Glad they served glögg too. They should go for real candles next year!