Embassy of Sweden and The Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Warsaw have the pleasure of inviting you to a Sankta Lucia concert performed by Young Cathedral Voices from Uppsala.

Before the Lucia procession the Vox Gaudii Choir from the Holy Trinity Parish will perform.

Thursday, 8 December 2016, 8 p.m.
The Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Pl. Małachowskiego 1, Warsaw

Free entry

The Swedish Lucia tradition

The candlelit Lucia processions on 13 December represent one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden and take place in homes, schools, companies, hospitals, Swedish embassies – almost everywhere.

Wearing a crown of burning candles, Lucia leads her white-gowned attendants in a singing procession to bring light and joy during one of the darkest nights of the Nordic winter.

One origin of the Lucia tradition was popular superstition. Once, people believed that the night between 12 and 13 December was dangerous – animals could speak and supernatural forces were on the move. Candles could drive some of these terrors off.

Another origin can be traced to Saint Lucia of Syracuse in Italy. Her name was derived from the Latin word for light. To the sun starved people of the North the day of her death became a symbol of light.

The singing processions are accompanied by delicacies such as gingerbread cookies, saffron-flavoured buns and mulled wine.