Santa Lucia


Bluecat
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Well the 13th was St Lucy's day, as in

"Tis the year's midnight and the day's,

Lucie's, that scarce seven hours herself unmasks" (John Donne from memory and therefore perhaps not quite right).

My lovely Swedish-speaking Finnish friend sent me this. St Lucy and the festival of the bringing of light is a big thing in Sweden.

The funny thing for me, having lived in Naples in Italy, is that I know Santa Lucia rather differently.

It's the same tune though.

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When I was a little girl, being of Swedish decent, my dad had told me a little bit about Santa Lucia... so that morning I dressed in a sheet and had candles and took them breakfast... (from what my father said was part of the tradition).. .I got is sooooooooo much trouble for having sheets and candles near each other... lol

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When I was a little girl, being of Swedish decent, my dad had told me a little bit about Santa Lucia... so that morning I dressed in a sheet and had candles and took them breakfast... (from what my father said was part of the tradition).. .I got is sooooooooo much trouble for having sheets and candles near each other... lol

Well, you can see their reasoning Sky!

When I was a little girl at a Roman Catholic Primary school, we had a procession with candles (in daylight - who knows why?) in honour of the Virgin Mary, and Mary Silver's hair caught fire.

Horrible, horrible.

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Oh yeah, I remember the candlelight processions, especially at Christmas when I sung in the boys choir. And it's hard to imagine that folks put lit candles on the trees! Wow, I wouldnt even think of doing that now! Of course, those electric lights that fizzled and popped on our real tree wasnt much better now that I think of it. Ah, childhood.

Edited by RevRainbow
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Thanks Bluecat!

That woman with the candles on her head was really hot!

My favorite Christmas Eve besides the time I swear I saw Santa and his Sleigh and renderer's fly over my roof as a kid was when I sang in the choir at midnight mass. The words Santa Lucia are very familiar to me but I don't remember any such procession as a young Saintly Catholic. I do remember the Virgin Mary one that Sky referenced.

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The words Santa Lucia are very familiar to me but I don't remember any such procession as a young Saintly Catholic. I do remember the Virgin Mary one that Sky referenced.

The "Sankta Lucia" procession here is in a Lutheran church in Sweden.

I don't know much about Lutherans, except they don't go much in for saints (certainly not compared with RCs), but St Lucy is very important in Sweden: one of the few saints to survive the Reformation there.

These are the words:

Natten går tunga fjät runt gård och stuva

kring jord som soln förlät skuggorna ruva

Då i vårt mörka hus stiger med tända ljus

Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia

(thanks to Malle)

Anyone read Swedish?

The "Santa Lucia" that most people know is the Neapolitan version. Same tune, but the words are all about how great Naples is. ;)

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The night is heavy footsteps around the house and stow surrounding soil solna forgave the shadows brood Then in our dark house rises with lit candles Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia

From google translate...

Edited by Sky
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