Last week was the festival of St. Lucia.
Throughout Sweden, choirs of girls and boys dressed in white and bearing candles sing lovely songs about hope and comfort. And for a few moments, we stop and listen to the message they bring.
They sing about bringing light and hope to the darkness of winter;
About warmth and compassion in the heart of coldness.
Lucia is a time of lighting candles and remembering that we are like those candles –
A small thing, but one that can light the flame of another.
And as we give light to another, our own light increases –
Spreading the beauty, no matter how insignificant we are.
It’s about remembering that after the dark, the sun returns –
Just like we do.
(Oh – and it’s also about drinking spiced mulled wine and enjoying saffron buns!)
For more stories, please visit:. Our World.
Lady Fi 
big smiles…lovely pictures…and true words…there is alwasy the sun after the dark…and the dark at times helps us appreciate the light all the more…hope you week leading up to the holiday is beautiful…
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Such a wonderful, beautiful holiday post from your world, Fiona! And, yes, the dark times can help us appreciate the light all the more! A great reminder! Wishing you a beautiful pre-holiday week for you and your family!
Sylvia
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Indeed, the 13th of December is a big celebration in Sweden, I miss lussekatter.;) Lovely images as always.;))
xoxo
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What a beautiful tradition! I love your photos, as usual.
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Smashing photos, especially the one in a lantern, superb.
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We had a Swedish exchange student once, around Christmas time, and she did St Lucia. It was so fun!
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i do like your spin on how we are all lights to shine into the world. 🙂
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What lovely words to accompany your photos.Have a good Christmas and New Year I look forward to following you in 2012.
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The blues and purples in that icy heart are mesmerizing!
Happy Holidays to you 🙂
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Lovely shots especially second and third. Great post:)
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Really love the first one, Fi…
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Hey, just wanted to let you know that you are a Preliminary Nominee for The Dark Globe Outstanding Artist Awards Photographer of the Year Award, as Nominated by Phil… In the end, there will only be 5 Final Nominees in each of the 3 Categories, which will be determined on December 20th… If you make the Final 5 Best Photographer of the Year cut, Voting for the actual Awards will begin December 21st through December 31st… And the Award Winners will be Announced on January 1st… To see your actual Nomination,and for the Official Rules, you can go here http://thedarkglobe.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/the-dark-globe-outstanding-artist-awards/#comment-281
Gratz, and if you make the Final Cut, Good Luck! Either way, Kudos for being Nominated
DarkJade
Editor/Creator/and one of the many Writers of The Dark Globe
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Those middle two are just so lovely!d The post is lovely — as it always is.
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Pass the Saffron Buns pretty please.
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I enjoyed this post very much. All the shots are wonderful and the one of the heart in the snow was especially touching to me. I love mulled wine!
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Brill post and pics – love the idea about the wine and buns too
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A magical post finished off with spiced mulled wine and saffron buns – just delightful!
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Hi There, Just stopping by to say Merry Christmas to you and yours. Save some Saffron Buns for me please!!!! ha
Love,
Betsy
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I just read about this festival yesterday. The idea of spreading the light is appealing.
Hey, is that Oscar out there in the water?
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Beautiful, as always. Mmmm mulled wine (though not here at the moment given our ever rising temperatures).
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What a fantastic mix of photos. I couldn’t quite make out the first one. Original and beautiful though.
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The first is two girls in the Lucia parade, holding candles and singing.
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All of these are lovely, but I especially love the heart drawn in the frost. Beautiful words to go with them, too! Thanks for the reminder!
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Lovely!
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oh yes
Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
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Wonderful shots from interesting festival.
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Outstanding photos as usual. I worked with a man of Swedish descent and every year he and his wife would bake those St. Lucia saffron buns and bring them in to work. Delicious! Happy Holidays Ladyfi.
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Your photos have illustrated your words so well! Beautiful.
“Spreading the beauty, no matter how insignificant we are” I like that.
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beautiful post!! loved it!
Bozo is eating well but lethargic and even the slightest walkaround gets him panting…. Thank you for your concern and good wishes.
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What a lovely gift you have given us as we head into the Christmas weekend. Thank you (as always) for the wonderful gift that comes from your eye and your heart.
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I like the shot of the lamp… fantastic!
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Une magnifique serie, tres beau travail autour de la lumiere, avec une preference pour la 2eme
Publicity ;o) Every Friday (and the Weekend), The Challenge “Walk In The Street Photography”
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Gratz, you are one of the 5 Finalists for The Dark Globe Photographer of the Year Award! Head here for more Info http://thedarkglobe.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/the-dark-globe-outstanding-arist-awards-finalist/
DarkJade-
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Spice mulled wine and saffron buns… how interesting. Love your comparison of light a candle to our being the light.
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Beautiful photos, with a beautiful message of light and love.
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What a wonderful celebration of light!
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What a lovely celebration of light. Your photos are beautiful as usual. I love the lantern and the cute heart. The last shot is very pretty too. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
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A beautiful celebration! Love that candle holder…and your words are the most beautiful!!
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I LOVE that window shot. Gorgeous. 🙂
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It sounds wonderful and magical – a highlight of winter!
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Love these beautiful images of light! The 4th image of the candleholder and last scenic image are especially beautiful!
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You have got lovely traditions in your country. I wish you a very merry Christmas, may the light soon return in this bleak world and may we be protected against disasters and diseases.
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The festival sounds fun. As you say, our light will grow each other with hope and joy.
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Sounds like a celebration filled with all things that tempt the senses. Lovely captures of your holiday, Fiona. 🙂
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All are beautiful but my favourite shot is the window.
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These are marvelous pictures. I really like the way you’ve captured the candle light. Lucia is a wonderful season, and you’ve captured the spirit very well.
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A beautiful Holiday and a beautiful post about it as always. Even tho I’m trying hard to catch up with my blog reading, I just had to go back to your original (I think) post about the day to see the candle procession again, I love this custom.
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Great post, I love what you did with the first photo. You caught the essence of the choirs. I like hearing about the Swedish traditions. Makes me think that over here we need to do more singing and less shopping.
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such a lovely culture and i enjoy all your photos.
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beautifully expressed Fiona. simply perfect. wishing you the most joyful of holidays and all the best in the coming year.
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Stemningsfulle bilder. Liker ekstra godt det første bildet.
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Love the colors and lights! Brings me into the spirit. Merry Christmas!
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These made me feel all warm and Christmasy!
Love the soft lights, and the blue heart!
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Merry Christmas!
Yes, after darkness sun appears and we should embrace the sunshine.
Beautiful pictures!
Love
http://www.meghasarin.blogspot.com
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· Your photos are fantastic, as usual.
I see you you know about St. Lucía but I prefer 22nd, at 5:30. Invictus Sun.
Be happy and enjoy.
· hugs
… Happy Winter’s Solstice
… the Sun wins the battle
CR & LMA
________________________________
·
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Artisteri! Great series:-)
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Great series!! Boomer & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
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Lovely traditions!
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beautiful words and pictures!
loved this post.
what lovely traditions as well!
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Beautiful photographs illustrating a wonderful tradition. Hope you and those you love have a wonderful Vhristmas!
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Christmas, that should be!
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Reading and looking your blog,I feel My heart become warm.
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Great post. I’m so glad you remembered the drink and buns!
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Mmm, I could trade my share of the wine for my husband’s share of the saffron buns!
The candles in midwinter are wonderful, and your photographs are like sunshine.
Wishing you and yours the very best of the holiday season and the coming year.
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
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Lovely interpretation of words through images Lady Fi, happy celebrations!
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Goodness, these are gorgeous. Your images do more to bring me into the holiday spirit than anything else this year. Thank you.
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Beautiful holiday photos and words. I hope you have a great holiday season, and that mulled wine sounds great!
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Absolutely beautiful. Your light sure does shine.
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how was the blue heart made? I thought a figure skater went over and over.
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My kids drew it on the icy windscreen of the car!
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Those are nice customs Fi. I liked the last one too! 🙂 Dave
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The Feast of St. Lucia is one of my favorites. Oh, and spiced, mulled wine and saffron buns are pretty good, too! Merry Christmas!
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Such beautiful words and there is so much depth in your photos… absolutely love them!
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Beautiful series, wonderful pictures only the first one I have no idea what it is 🙂
Merry Christmas.
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What a lovely tradition and your words and photos just expand its delight! Hope you are having a wonderful week filled with love and family!
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Gorgeous photos, as always. Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Christmas!
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i love the idea of a time for lighting candles as well as the spiced wine and yummy buns. thank you for sharing your photos and traditions.
lovely holidays to you!
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Lovely! I had to share it on facebook.
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That sounds like a lovely tradition. Thanks for the gorgeous words and photos.
Merry Christmas, xo jj
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Wonderful. Wish you a Merry Christmas !
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super post…really liked the lighting in all the shots; esp. the second and fourth.
cheers,
My Third Eye
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When I lived in Finland as a child, I was once asked to Santa Lucia solo at a Christmas concert given by our school to war veterans. It’s a beautiful song, a beautiful festival. And you’ve given us a beautiful post. All the very best of the season to you, Fi…. including spiced mulled wine and saffron buns!
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This is another fascinating post, ladyfi! Festival of St. Lucia is a lovely tradition. Now that winter solstice has passed, we are having more and more daylight, which makes us feel assured that spring is not far away. Let’s see quietly glinting things in the cold and the dark.
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I love this tradition!!!
So wonderful that it brings so much LIGHT to a dark winter!
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Here is Norwegian soprano Sissel singing Vitae Lux for the Feast of Sancta Lucia, whom the Scandinavians have adopted because of the allegory of light: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8CXVcUQKHo&list=FLQ3g8ucVopUnY0d34BZnzDg&index=53&feature=plpp_video
Many Lutheran parishes, especially those with Scandinavian parishioners do the Quempas celebration for Sancta Lucia:
Typically, the choir is divided into fours and rotates around the nave with each verse.
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Absolutely loved these. The last one is amazing.
Merry Christmas to you. 🙂
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This is beautiful! Both what you wrote and the accompanying photos filled me with warmth. Thank you! You are definitely a light and a delight.
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I love traditions… and this one always called my attention! And now that you have shared such great photos about it- Hey, I am going to have to visit you one day around this time of the year. But promise to share the apple cider and saffron buns with me!!
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