Santa Lucia

is a day which celebrates the life of Lucia, who was a real Catholic saint. Swedes celebrate this day in early morning ceremonies on Dec 13th.

It is celebrated in workplaces and schools. At home, the oldest girl in the family is to bring the parents coffee in the early morning. Girls wear a white dress and one of the girls will also wear a wreath of candles on her head. Celebrations are accompanied by the song, Santa Lucia:


Eva kept singing this, and I watched the traditional ceremony which was broadcasted on TV in the morning. This song is ringing and ringing in my head...

Glögg and lussekatter (St Lucy buns) are eaten on this day as well.

^ This lussekatter is made by Agata, so happened that we were at her place the day before, so we got to eat the homemade lussekatter, and some other traditional Xmas food below:

A Xmas biscuit called hästskor, which translates as horseshoes. The baked apple is filled with nuts and raisin, its not a Swede cuisine (prob from Germany), but its often eaten in Sweden during Xmas. The last dish is a Polish dish- sour cabbages in vinegar, with smoked sausages and alot of other things. It tasted alot like our pickled vegetables, those that we eat with porridge.