Lucia − The Bearer of Light

Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations represent one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden, with their clear reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth.

Lucia commemorates Lucia of Syracuse, an early 4 th century virgin martyr, who brought food and aid to people wearing a candle lit wreath on her head to leave her hands free to carry as much food as she could. Lucia is an ancient figure with an abiding role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.