Swedish Lucia for Dummies

Lucia Day (St. Lucy's Day) - a feast of candlelit processions, saffron buns, mulled wine and talking animals. Here's how to make the most of it.
Lucia is celebrated on 13 December. Sankta Lucia (St. Lucy’s Day) is celebrated most commonly in Scandinavia, where it is a major feast day. Here in Scandinavia, she is represented as a woman in a white dress and red sash with a crown or wreath of candles on her head. In Sweden, girls dressed as Lucia (Lucy) carry rolls and cookies in procession as songs are sung. Boys take part in the procession as well, playing different roles associated with Christmas.
Don't forget to leave a like, comment and subscribe!
If you want to learn more about Sweden or just stop by and say 'Hi', you can find us here:
Facebook: / swedense
Twitter: / sweden
Site: www.sweden.se/

[@palebubble61plays86]

i lived in sweeden for one year and this was one of the best days there but i will admit when ikea gave out free meatballs omg i was hooked

[@sweden]

Sounds like they know their target audience!

[@Sebastian_George]

Lucia has been and will always be an important tradition for me in Sweden. 🎵🇸🇪♥️

[@sweden]

That's fabulous to hear!

[@sweden]

Tomorrow, on December 13, Sweden celebrates Lucia Day. The event pays tribute to light in the midst of dark winters accompanied, of course, with buns and Glögg!

[@elvyragludkinaite7276]

fete-

Mmm.. glögg!

[@rrbill1382]

Happy Lucia day to all, Swed's and those who wish they were :-)

[@josephkimarundungu1937]

Happy lucia day. Love you swed's.

[@amb.g-othellozordyu86]

HAPPY SL DAY

[@melissahensley9430]

My great great grandma came from Sweden back in 1911 we celebrate Christmas in the Swedish way. My mom makes Pepparkakors from scratch

[@williamsvpro]

Well, so does my family ( though I'm Swedish ).

[@melissahensley9430]

I'm Swedish Irish and American Indian

[@thenickwiththetism]

im doing reserch on lucia day for a school project and this was SUPER helpful, i hope everyone had a great lucia day, until next year sweds!

[@sweden]

We're very glad to hear that!

[@ronjahelene5752]

Here in Norway we also celebrate it and I remember as a first grader we walked into every classroom in the school singing ❤

[@sweden]

Nice one!

[@ZhangtheGreat]

Just saw the Sankta Lucia performance at the Swedish Christmas Fair here in Los Angeles. Det var jättesnygg! It made me fall in love with Swedish culture all over again!

[@vixenmare9478]

OMG you guys celeberate this too in Hungary we have celebretion just we cald it "Luca napja " this is so cool i didn't know it but every day i learn something

[@sweden]

Interesting! Thank you for the info!

[@corncrackerkid5092]

My cousin is partially Danish (her grandfather was full Danish and her half Danish mother could’ve passed for a full Dane, she was nearly six feet tall, blue eyes, pale skin and curly light auburn hair) her baptismal gown was a Sankta Lucia outfit, complete with a candle wreath crown and a little toy Lussekater on a plate

[@sweden]

Souds great!

[@ArrowofArtemis]

There are Swedish-American towns in middle America who still do this every December 13, as well. In my mom's hometown, they crown a Lucia instead of a homecoming queen at the high school. She was Lucia 50 years ago this year and still recalls it fondly.

[@Borisdlh]

A : it's cold, B: it's dark ... Ahahaha ! I've been living in Sweden for some months now on an Erasmus and this is the perfect summary of the weather !

[@MesserMorfeo]

In rural Italy too there's a St.Lucia night when animals are believed to talk. So farmers give them extra food just in case.

[@moseskamwigu]

Am glad to have attended one last year @Vaggeryd Kommun Sweden . Lovely people #Lovely Country. Love from Kenya 🇰🇪

[@moy2010]

I loved the humor you punt into it! Thanks for such a good explanation :).

[@vetar3372]

Det at dere Svensker har deres egen kanal er bare jævlig morsomt, og ganske episk. God jul og godt nyttår til alle!

[@sweden]

We wish you a proper good Christmas! Stay safe!

[@godolakis]

Haha, the nail on the head: "The 'why' is less important than the 'how' " So true. @ 0:40

[@GreatAuntUK]

This is BRILLIANT! And hilarious. I love Sweden, they have the best sense of humour and best Christmas traditions. THANK YOU!

[@nantarg]

2:06 :D It happend this year as well. RIP Julbock.

[@AmandaConocido]

Hey guys who are curious about this holiday. I can’t say all the information I’m about to write is correct since the only source is my old music teacher. He was greatly loved In my small school in Sweden and he would help the school oldest kids to do a Luciatåg (Lucia train) idk how to translate. This tradition kinda stopped when he retired but my class tried to bring it up again (failing but at least trying) I’m going to share some knowledge based on the songs he wrote.( not sure where he got information about Lucia) Lucia is a saint in Italy. I have no idea how it got here. She was a rich girl in a poor place. She would see how the generals would punch and be rude to the people begging for food. She was loved by her dad and in the village she was quite unique. She would go out with her dog and never be unproductive ( badly worded lol) She helped old ladies. But one day she had enough of being rich and being able to buy everything she needed when poor people were suffering. So she decided to take off all her stuff and put it in a box or something (I think that’s why she’s wearing a night gown or whatever the white dress is called) she went to the poor people and gave them food and clothes. Then she sneaked into the prison and put candles in her hair so she could see where she was walking. She gave the prisoners food and they thanked their gods. Everything was quit then some sound was heard. A general rushed in and told her to stay still. Lucia turned her head and when the general saw her eyes he went down on one knee he said, I love your eyes and i need them close to me I want you to be my wife. Come to my palace and get whatever you want. She said No never I swore to my friend in the sky and I will never fail. ( not greatly worded either) The general said. Aha so you are Christian we don’t like those ( avsvär dig ) don’t know how to translate but kinda: stop believing in Jesus and i will save you. She said never and if all you want is my eyes I will give them to you. She put her eye in his hand and the general rushed away. Then some dudes came and violently took her to burn at a pole. (Like a witch) she didn’t burn and she stood there with a new blue eye. The general got frustrated and though politic she was useless and decided to kill her with a sword. (I can’t say any of this is real and if I find a link to a recording of Lucia I will link it in the end) what I just wrote about was a part of the Lucia train. He made a “drama club” and they would do the acting. Of these scenes and the song is quite catchy I must say.

[@pekko68b]

Tack för förklaring och hälsningar från Finland!

[@thatbadanimationteacher6453]

Thank you so much, this helped me a lot in school, I can’t thank you enough.

[@waynerollack3220]

Thank-you for this, well done. Excellent explanation. Sounds like a beautiful tradition, a mixture of the ancient and the new.

[@gerardrougeron1477]

Didn'y you feeel the sarcatsic tone, Dummy?

[@gryox5098]

This is all the information I know and could gather about Lucia, the name comes from the latin word lux, which means light. She lived in Syracuse, Italy during the roman ages. She was born 283 and died as a martyr (burned at the stake) 304 because alot of christians were being followed at the time, she was followed because her husband told people about her faith after she gave away their dowry to the poor. Some say that she survived the flames unharmed and was killed by a sword afterwards. Here in sweden however we mostly celebrate lucia because it's a cozy tradition brought to us by the germans although the 13th of december has always been known to be the longest night of the year here in sweden. If we take a trip back in time to the middle ages (1300, sweden has just been introduced to christianity) we will still find that the "lussenatten" 13th of december was the longest night of the year. That was the night when all of the dark forces (supernatural beings) were going to rise. According to some people animals could talk that night xD. People tried to stay awake in order to avoid evil and in order to prevent falling asleep they ate and drank more than usually, and to celebrate they were all set for christmas if we're talking about the later days of christianity in sweden xD. And if you guys are wondering why the night was called "lussenatten" already in the 1300's when Lucia wasn't a tradition in sweden until the 1900's. the word "lusse" has nothing to do with Lucia, it's an old word for lucifer, the devil. I hope this was helpful^^. Also, the red ribbon is suppose to illustrate blood and the candels are suppose to bring light in dark times and they're suppose to look like some sort of halo. After all she was a saint according to alot of people :)

[@sweden]

Possibly the most informative comment on KZbin!? Thanks Khansaro!

[@joannthomases9304]

Glad someone straightened that out. There is a whole lot of people who are trying to make the two as though everything is licifer......There are entirely different meanings with almost the same sounds. People are getting a lot mixed up. It's people like you, to get this unraveled, or people are going to be stupid. Keep explaining the separation, so no one will 'be in the dark about what is really going on. Where did the thought of Lucifer really come from ? I think people need to get reality and get the whole real truth because we need the bad insanity to end. We need the wierd crazy stuff to stop. If people would get evil out of the brain, and imprison religious warring, we'd be alright. Religions were supposed to spread love. They are too political and any religion that is not of love only needs to give it up. It negates the concept of its own teaching of love when it becomes killing. God makes man-kind, from one man mold, and if we were thankful to our creator, we would never harm each other at all.

[@mrj.kottari8453]

Also; "ljus" in swedish means light and it's pronounced the same as "luc" in Lucia. Propably the same root as in romance/Mediterranean european languages words for "light". That's why Sankta Ljusia is carrying crown of candles and not overhead basket full of lussebullar 😎

[@swededude1992]

@@mrj.kottari8453 Ljus is pronounced with a j-sound. Lucia is pronounced with a L-sound.

[@joicedomingues587]

I will be in Sweden this 13th december, i hope to participate ;-)

[@sweden]

Enjoy your stay and the Lucia celebrations!

[@montserratmontserrat9713]

Happy Santa Lucía day's🙏🧿👁️👁️🧿

[@andrzejczarnecki8700]

Co za piękne szwedki i jak pięknie 🎶 śpiewają. 🇸🇪 ❤ ❤ 🇸🇪

[@jamesaustin1988]

1:56 Wow, that's very scenic. The rural Swedish children in their St. Lucy's day procession.

[@HaryanviKashmiri]

Wow, Sweden has an official KZbin channel

[@sweden]

Correct! Hang out with us!

[@HaryanviKashmiri]

@@sweden I do plan to visit Sweden some time.

[@ellalol6360]

i remember watching this video with my mormor one night before the lucia festival. it was interesting because now, later in life, i’ve been informed i am 95% swedish and swedish-american 3rd generation!!!

[@sweden]

What a lovely story! It sounds like you need to experience Lucia IRL one of these years in a nearby future!

[@ellalol6360]

@@sweden my church throws a celebration for it, though i’d like to actually go to sweden for it when i’m older!

[@sweden]

Excellent to hear! Do they use electric, or real candles in the Lucia Crown?

[@ellalol6360]

@@sweden they use electric because of the amount of people that come and i assume they don’t want anything bad to happen!

[@sweden]

@@ellalol6360 Fair enough!

[@RedwoodGeorge]

I"m very, very excited - I've arranged a trip to Europe this December around being in Malmö for Lucia. I can't wait to try lussebullar and glogg in Sweden 🙂

[@sweden]

Great to hear!🙂

[@pschroeter1]

I loved this video, it was a wonderful combination of information and humor. I discovered this video today and immediately watched the Midsummer one too. For some reason I couldn't relate to the Midsummer video as much.

[@bixbybixby]

Here in Canada we don't do anything on Dec. 13. I always thought the winter solstice (Dec. 21) was the shortest day of the year. Oh well, what's 8 days when it's pitch black dark out, everything is cold and frozen...until you turn on the light switch and turn the thermostat up lol.

[@sweden]

You're right winter solstice is the 21st December. The 13th used to be the winter solstice when using the old Julian calendar however now we all use the Gregorian calendar. The date however remained the same for traditions sake we assume :)

[@alarik36]

"The Swedish tradition has its origins in both pre-Christian and Christian customs. According to folklore was 13 december a dangerous night because many supernatural forces were in motion then. Also that the animals could speak during lucia night." "The tradition of a candle-making female figure may have its origins in a pagan goddess of light." The tradition has a ursvenskt pagan origin that has been dressed in a Christian garb to better accepted by the Church. 'Lussinatt' = Light Night

[@emmanuelskywalkers9272]

Hej Sweden. Some of my family from Sweden, I never been to Sweden before, I got to see in person Lucia Day at Swedish Lutheran Church in Toronto, it was my first time I saw Lucia Day in person, I enjoy myself. Lucia Day was yesterday Sunday, Dec,15,2019 at 5pm - 7pm at Swedish Lutheran Church in Toronto. My Great Great Grandmother last name was Johansson. My both side of my family from Sweden. I will look for Lucia Day on DVD, Blu - Ray, on CD & on Vinyl I am wondering where to find on CD, on Vinyl, on DVD & Blu - Ray? I like this a lot.

[@jonken3820]

Hey! You can buy this for music CD-rom. cdon.se/musik/malena-ernman/santa-lucia-en-klassisk-jul-12166546 Not sure if they can ship to CA but if you want something similar you can google "sankta lucia".

[@EarthREALTOR]

This is such a fun explanation! Love it!

[@sweden]

You're welcome!

[@arkitektkontorethanslindbe7905]

En perfekt presentation... Något varje svensk borde ha i sin video-hylla.. ;-)

[@MegaZorroFox]

Tomorrow we will go to watch it! I loved glögg :3

[@sweden]

Enjoy Lucia!

[@crazingamazing]

Its not Christmas until we go to Lucia. This is a very beautiful tradition.

[@FallenderStern]

Awesome! not from Sweden but support it 😅

[@sweden]

Okidoke!

[@mrflyingcheesychips]

I love this Sweden. The narration is very good and funny and the message serves a serious purpose and tradition. Great video Sweden, now I am educated about Lucia! 😀

[@sweden]

Excellent to hear!

[@owlnyc666]

Nice video. I only recently heard there was a St. Lucia Day. I didn't know anything about her.🤔😉

[@sweden]

There you go! We learn new stuff each year!

[@Stormwern]

Don't burn the glögg, serious business!

[@jimbech5703]

I live in Brazil, we consider that etnic mixture is powerful to elevate our country, even I been caucasian

[@ispywithmyi]

Love this holiday :3

[@finncollins5696]

st.lucia . pray for us. pray for Sweden.

[@user-rt4th6vg4j]

Happy Saint Lucia Day! - 13 December 2014

[@TheSwedishLad]

Wonderful video!!!

[@tjallew]

11 days before cristmas day she comes with ligth, vodka good food and gingerbread love it so coald and dark, lonesame with out

[@mrj.kottari8453]

Don't forget saffron buns!

those who ridicule the Lucia celebration are going to hell bye bye have a hot Lucia!

[@yvonne6629]

😅😅😅

[@znoochy]

Glad Lucia allihopa! Have a good Lucia day everyone!

[@curtpiazza1688]

Love it! ❤

[@mieroth]

Saint Lucy's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. But yes, the Norwegian, Danish and Finnish ways of celebrating Lucia have their roots in primarily Swedish traditions. But even though the holiday was introduced in Norway and Denmark fairly recently there are still some differences so I think it's fair enough to refer to this as "Swedish Lucia" rather than "Scandinavian Lucia." It's also a tourism channel, after all. :P

[@andreasjohansson2490]

Hallå hallå hallå

[@sophielynnhoward6271]

One of the biggest traditional celebrations in Sweden is St. Lucia's Day on December 13th (the shortest day of the Year). The Lucia procession by children is so fantastic!!

[@pschroeter1]

Do the candle processions happen on St. Lucia Day evening or the evening of the day before? A lot of European holidays, like St. Nicholas Day, seem to work this way. Loved this video and the one about Midsummer.

[@astrid.erikssontropp]

The "Luciatåg" (candle processions) usually happen on the morning of the 13:th, on the Lucia day. But as you say many other holidays are celebrated on the day/eve before the day, although not with Lucia, we only celebrate Lucia on her day. (except for some choirs and similar who have a lot of places to visit or performances to do, and if you for instance only see each other once in a week you often celebrate on the date closest to Lucia.)

[@pschroeter1]

Astrid Eriksson Tropp From your name I'm guessing you know what you are talking about. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[@pschroeter1]

Happy 10 Years for this video. I don't remember when I started watching this video and the Midsummer one, but they've become little yearly holiday rituals of mine. I'm still waiting for a Walpurgis/May Day video.

[@sweden]

Ahhh! A vert merry happy anniversity to us then!

[@junglelove171]

Happy Santa Lucia Day!!!

[@ViceCityExtra]

Also someone always passes out 😂

[@sweden]

It's not uncommon! The pressure gets to people!

[@Kamina-brah]

Ah yes, my swedes and their dry humor. I wish you all a very heartfelt ”men vad fan”

[@sweden]

Ha! Right back at you!

[@asaoleify]

This clip helped me out when explaining the Swedish tratition!@asaole

[@mfleming55]

facinating.

[@gpla-ster9032]

I remembered doing that for a Christmas around the world play. I was dressed as a Star Boy.

[@sweden]

Great to hear!

[@MrGargamelG]

plonk and glögg Plonk is an unspecific and derogatory term in British and Australian English for wine and glögg is swedish for mulled wine.

[@annaalveklint9758]

Gör en om fettisdagen!

[@sweden]

+Anna Sedig Bra idé!

[@memeyo42]

I read "Swedish Lucia Dummies" 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@kellikocha7733]

Saint Lucia pray for us and every Catholic should celebrate Saint Lucia’s feast day

[@kellikocha7733]

@@miragemirage3670 it’s about Saint Lucia

[@kellikocha7733]

@@miragemirage3670 it’s about Saint Lucia. It’s the day she was martyred for not being pagan

[@kellikocha7733]

@@miragemirage3670 Lucy was a real person who was killed by pagans for being Christian

[@dr.vikyll7466]

@@kellikocha7733 Saints=idolotry

[@Umadevta]

@@dr.vikyll7466 saint in catholicism are not worshiped so it’s not idolatry. Only God is worshipped no one else

[@margittapetzold493]

Das ist ein sehr schönesFest in Schweden

[@MsMekel93]

Haha så typiskt att man ska driva med svenska traditioner! :D

[@itamedit]

great video

[@sweden]

Thanks a bunch!

[@Mcbs513]

2:42 Seamus Heaney??

[@valery.2524]

Yes Definitely very strange.

[@TwoGeekyFriends]

The symbol of death is so on point haha!

[@Sakurababie]

It’s cool how me and my dads birthday is December 13th, and we have Swedish lol

[@sweden]

😆

[@dolanandersdolan9932]

Helvete vad häftigt.

[@wiltandblush8874]

soon its 24th here in sweden :3

[@MYBIGKINDHEART]

God Jul Sverige :)))

[@LolZaiden]

I like it

[@Lindasuperstar]

Hahahah! This is brilliant!!! :D

[@joltjolt5060]

Swedes are so cool I want my kids to bring me buns and glogg in the morning. Celebrate persephone lol. Light the yule log. Yes, 13+12 days of log is....XMAS

[@sweden]

😉Very much appreciated!

[@ZombieShootss]

@anonymousSWE Yes, we do that. Intresant

[@kostasnille]

Kan ni inte göra en "swedish christmas for dummies" video? 😂👍🏼

[@sweden]

+Ida Erlandsson Good idea! We'll look into it. :)

[@tatiagarcia]

lol the narration was kinda funny

[@sweden]

It's meant to be!

[@balooc2]

jag är eran 3000dje subscriber :D

[@DeathThemself]

Random Seamus Heaney at 2.42 XD Didn't know Ireland was included XD

[@mj6493]

Yes, I saw that too. There's just no explaining that. ???

[@mattiasbjorklund5398]

I think it's The bathrobe. Since it kind of look like The traditional Luciadress. Only thing I could think of The justify him Being cut in.

[@olleani]

That's from the Nobel Prize Award. The literature prize laureeates usually get on the morning of 13th a morning surprise in form of Lucia at their hotel hence his appearance

[@Anonymoussomeonenr1]

@Alex Forslund I had a cold the day I got to be the Lucia standing out in the cold Swedish winter! :( Therefore they dressed me up a bit more than the maidens in the swedish winter, who all had to freeze.

[@bus81]

That day is not for dummies. That day is for people.

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

Jari Karppinen the Dummies are you and me who are viewing the clip.

[@TharjaChama]

whats the name of the song on 2:20? :( cant remember

[@Dontincludeme]

+Mangoso9 Hey! I'll find it for you. There's an album in Spotify called Lucia-Magnificat, and I recognize that song because it's on there, I just don't remember the title.

[@Dontincludeme]

+Mangoso9 So far, no luck. Maybe because the clip at 2:20 is so short. I'll keep looking though.

[@Dontincludeme]

+Mangoso9 You know, I take it back. I can hear a little more of the song underneath the narration and I haven't heard it before.

[@giovannaaa1234]

Lucia it's my grandmother.

[@Kazwan]

nice

[@lucaschiantodipepe2015]

How a Saint born in Sicily in the hot Mediterranean weather, became a popular Swedish figure, really, really, i don't know. Have they anything in their own to celebrate? Maybe same vikings' people? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@sweden]

Come on over and find out!

[@founoe]

The Swedish tradition of a celebration of the Light around December 13th is thousands of years older than Christianity. When Christianity was established they just slapped one of their saints on the festivities.

[@lucaschiantodipepe2015]

@@founoe yes, also in Rome they celebrated on 25 December the "dies Natalis Solis invicti" ("birthday of the unconquered sun" ). The feast evolved into a Christian celebration. Orthodox Christians use to celebrate Christmas on 7 January. By the way thanks for the explanations.

[@pimpking3135]

@@lucaschiantodipepe2015 would you still say this isn’t on of our “own” traditions? Haha, for us in the 2020ths it certainly is

[@lucaschiantodipepe2015]

@@pimpking3135 was st. Lucia a Swedish girl? The island from which she came was Sicily not Gotland.

[@interstateruler]

I always thought the song Santa Lucia was an Italian song

[@italianoxstrada]

and it is! I believe it's translated

[@sweden]

St Lucia is from Italy!

[@camerrill]

Santa Lucia was from Italy! But "adopted" by the Nordic people.

[@MrVegetarianMeatball]

Well, actually, the gingerbread cookie is the only Christmas cookie in Sweden (I think) but It'll be forbidden to be a gingerbread cookie soon... Since some people thought that it was racism o.o

[@mariaangelicamm]

great video,will be better if you can add some subtitles in others languages . i can help with the spanish ;)

[@Anonymoussomeonenr1]

AuditionTape1 Naw seriously, I have seen many light-blonde swedish Lucias chosen for different swedish towns the last years!

[@Anonymoussomeonenr1]

Plus I exist in the nationalistic Sweden! So I know what I´m alking about..! I always talk from my own experience here.. When I got to be a swedish Lucia I also had let out blonde hair. Lighter hairshade than my hair is now! It was fucking gold-blonde when against the dark! Blahablaha hairshade that many girls and women around the world colour their hair intoo look good!

[@Anonymoussomeonenr1]

Anonymoussomeonenr1 The blonder the girls/women the better, there´s the swedish devise for you all!

[@richardbruner1490]

is that swedish actress alexandra dahlstrom as the blond lucia at the 121 min. mark

[@gustavvompfefferberg3649]

Eine sehr schöne und auch sehr lustige Zusammenfassung des Lucia-Festes in Schweden. Leider habe ich nichts vergleichbares auf Deutsch gefunden. Wer nicht so gut Englisch kann findet hier schweden-tipp.de/weihnachten-schweden-santa-lucia/ eine Ausführliche Erläuterung.

[@rickshanaz9818]

Yay!! Can't wait till I'm 18 to apply for the visa

[@Felix-rc8kf]

Where are you from?

[@rickshanaz9818]

Egypt

[@Anonymoussomeonenr1]

1:38 That little Lucia looks like a bride!

[@Cannon_Briggs]

nice :)

[@Fakeinvasion]

Ha! We're fucking adorable!

[@izziq.12]

The holy video omg...scary

[@kirsten4320]

👍🏻🇸🇪

[@JokerSyndrom]

Martin! :D