Last Friday, December 13th, was a special day – the festival of Lucia.
Every year around Sweden, churches are full of music and light.
It’s a very special feeling when the lights are turned off
And the Lucia procession enters the church.
The children sing their heavenly songs,
Faces lit by candlelight only —
Spots of dancing hope in the mid-winter darkness.
As they leave the church, the sun has managed to rise
Casting its golden glow on people and building alike.
It’s a wonderful and metaphorical festival
Reminding us that no matter how vast the darkness,
We must shine our own light.
For more festive stories, please visit: Our World Tuesday.
Lady Fi 
Very nice, the people inside, the darkness, love them.
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I love the hallowed, holy silence which your photos inspire. Like many other churches we have a tradition in our church for a candle-light service on Christmas Eve.
Also, last evening we had a neighborhood luminary event, which I think has Spanish, not Swedish, origins, but beautiful nonetheless. My blog post on Wednesday will feature this event with grandchildren. Thank you for inspiring me today with the loveliness of the season, Lady Fi!
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Reminding us that no matter how vast the darkness,
We must shine our own light.
It’s a true but god take believers to the true light thanks for posting and have a great day my good teacher
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I appreciate your message every bit as much as I appreciate your beautiful photos.
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Candles lighting the darkness and illuminating the hope of children – quite beautiful. Happy Holidays to you and your family, Fi.
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Our church in Dallas did something similar. I could never relax with everyone holding lit candles. But it is really beautiful. 🙂
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Yes, I too, appreciate your message and beautiful captures for the day, Fiona! Thank you for sharing. The world in general needs to be reminded~ Hope you have a lovely week!!
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What a warm and inviting church with children and candles. I miss the European churches with so much history. Living in California, you often find churches in warehouses and office buildings, even schools on Sundays. Very strange to me.
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a beautiful ceremony.
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The candlelight and those windows in the church make such a compelling and beautiful image.
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Uppsala domkyrka är mäktig
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Ja, det är det. Bilderna kommer från Johanneskyrka i Stockholm dock.
Lady Fi wrote: > New comment on your post “The light in the dark” > Author : Molle (IP: 83.177.75.145 , c83-177-75-145.cust.tele2.se) > E-mail : molleshem@hotmail.com > URL : http://mollesbilder.wordpress.com > Whois : http://whois.arin.net/rest/ip/83.177.75.145
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Hoppsan vad fel det blev
Sista bilden liknar Uppsala domkyrka
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nice…i love candle light ceremonies…watching the light gain strength and push back the dark….
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I love absolutely everything about Lucia – it’s just so perfect. when I attended a Lucia day service, goosebumps prickled on my arms as the choir sang, and I found myself wondering if it was just because the song was beautifully sung or because the saint herself was somehow present.
Your photo essay captured the essence and magic of the moment.
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Excellent photography! Love the capture of lights.
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Although I am not religious, these photos stir something wonderful and primitive in my soul! Gorgeous! That’s all I can say.
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How beautiful! This would be something to behold. I bet it was amazing.
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Your wonderful photos are so fantastic and your words are very wise!
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How fortunate you were to be able to photograph this.
The lights are beautiful.
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This is so beautiful. I once witnessed the celebration of Saint Lucia and it was so touching and lovely.
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What a beautiful celebration…
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Oh my gosh this is so beautiful…light always shines through the dark 🙂
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Gorgeous church.. Love the stained glass windows… Beautiful!!!! We love Candlelight services —and usually attend a special one on Christmas Eve right before midnight. It’s very meaningful —to welcome in Christmas morning.
Merry Christmas.
Hugs,
Betsy
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Så vackra och stämningsfulla bilder! Beautiful!
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Läckra luciabilder från kyrkan!
Majsan/
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How very, very beautiful. And I love the windows in that church…
Thank you so much.
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Very nice pictures! Me like. I know you are good at this in Sweden. We have also Lucia, but not so much
Hope you have a great week:-)
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beautiful! The Lucia I visited was in our library. 🙂 My link goes to my post. 🙂
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What a lovely celebration.
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Utrolig fine stemningsbilder. Luciafeiringen i Sverige er nok mye flottere enn her 🙂
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Beautiful traditions that we maintain.
You’re right, we should do our own light shine, light of goodness.
· hugs
· CR · & · LMA ·
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that must be very special.
And the windows with the light shining though are beautiful.
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Beautiful images and captures. The lighting with the choir is just beautiful. Awesome post, have a happy week!
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la lunga notte del grande Nord sembra svanire nella luce della speranza! Ho avuto la gioia di assistere a questa cerimonia in Stoccolma e ne sono rimasta commossa ed affascinata, ora la rivivo nelle tue bellissime foto, splendide quelle isole di luce all’interno della chiesa!
la lunga notte del grande Nord seems to vanish in the light of hope! I had the pleasure to attend this ceremony in Stockholm and I was touched and fascinated, I now in your beautiful photos, beautiful those islands of light inside the Church!
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I would love to witness this ceremony, Fiona and I feel I have……thanks to you.
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**We must shine our own light.**
Lovely. Xxx
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What a lovely celebration of light in the darkness of winter! Just wonderful!
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Den svenske tradisjonen med Lucia er jo den eldste i Norden.
Tro det var på slutten av 1970 tallet at en i Norge startet med feiring i barnehager og skoler.
Flotte bilder fra en “varm” seremoni! Liker at det er “levende” lys!
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What a beautiful festival and tradition. The candles in the dark is quite dramatic and I love all your captures.
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Beautiful photos of the darkness and the candles.
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beautiful shots.
http://calrat.blogspot.com
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Thank you for sharing this beautiful message with these images:) I love those church windows and the church building.
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They all look beautiful. Lovely captures.
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The candles and the stained glass are so peaceful. Lovely.
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Nice pictures, wonderful lights, I love candles!
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Captivating theme and photos.
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so wundervoll
eine schöne Sitte die mir SEHR gefällt
DANKE für die schönen Momente
mit einem LG vom katerchen
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I’m not religious but I love the music and theatre. You have captured the atmosphere beautifully.
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It sounds like a truly wonderful festival!
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Beautiful!
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Beautiful images and lovely thoughts
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Magnificent captures. The one of the candles is just gorgeous. Wish I could take pictures like yours successfully. Lovely church.
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What a nice fire. They make us warm.
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Beautiful, loved the second shot.
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Beautiful and so true ~ Lovely photos ~ thanks, carol, xxx
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intéressante lumière à la dernière aussi
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I learned about this lovely festival from you and am delighted to read about it again …. beautiful pictures and words of light (literally and metaphorically)
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Wonderful post! And such beautiful symbolism…the twinkling candles against the darkness really is magical.
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Wonderful shots of the lighting.
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What beautiful pictures !
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Very beautiful shots.
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I love the candle headband… I think I need one of those
Mollyxxx
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so beautiful
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Great night shots and beautiful light at the bottom.
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A beautiful and touching tradition! Your photos are fantastic. I know that wasn’t easy…
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I love every single one of your pics! and I learned little about the festival from reading Wallander:)
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Great ceremony. Beautiful photos!
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That looks like a wonderful festival – nice captures of it.
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such wonderful images
and thoughts
yes, let’s shine our light!
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Dancing hope in midwinter for sure:)
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Absolutely stunning! Many thanks. 🙂
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for you and your family.
Greetings from London.
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Wishing you a magical holiday season and all the good things in 2014! 🙂
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I know how difficult it is to get those shots! Did you have them in tripod? And i am reminded when you said “we must shine our own light”, both literal and metaphorical. I have not been thoroughly cleansing my energy centers lately, so my light must be blurry! I should double time in energizing. Thanks for the reminder.
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These are hand-held shots. I increased the ISO, which is why they are quite grainy.
Lady Fi wrote: > New comment on your post “The light in the dark” > Author : Andrea (IP: 121.54.54.138 , 121.54.54.138) > E-mail : kalantikan@gmail.com > URL : http://www.abagillon.blogspot.com > Whois : http://whois.arin.net/rest/ip/121.54.54.138
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Beautiful photos LadyFi and I bet the glow inside the churches is a spectacle to remember.
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how fabulous!
ALOHA to YOU
from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^=
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What a beautiful and moving ceremony!! Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like to celebrate Christmas in a country with a long history of tradition!! Or even to have a white Christmas! I won’t be getting that unless White HEAT counts!!! Enjoy your festive season – I look forward to seeing more pix!
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Beautiful shots! Perfect lighting in the last one.
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What a lovely cermony to see in person! 🙂
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Sounds like a beautiful celebration. I wish I knew more about it, I remember reading a book as a kid about a immigrant Swedish family celebrating this.
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wonderful series, very nice mood and photos, well done.
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You never fail to post breathtakingly beautiful images no matter what the subject is.
«Louis» being Lutheran, knows the Sancta Lucia service well. It is a Christmas highlight for him each year. His parish does the Sancta Lucia service to the Michael Prætorious setting of it. Here is Sissel with her angelic voice in a Santca Lucia service.
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Wow, what a wonderful experience that must have been. It looks so festive and special. I love your photos, especially those taken in such low light. At first I thought this was done in night time, how interesting that it was in morning, before sunrise. Thank goodness the days get longer after today!
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You have captured the spirit wonderfully, thanks for sharing.
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Just beautiful!!
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Love your photos, the use of light and dark.
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What a beautiful and tender post Fi, you haven’t been popping up in my reader so I’m having a delicious catchup!
The hope of light carried by children back into the light of the shrinking day. Our futures are in their hands 🙂
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