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Luciat\u00e5g<\/a> by Frugan<\/a>. Licensed under CC BY 2.0<\/a> via Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n First, I have to call myself out for a bit of erasure. I often write about the stj\u00e4rngossar<\/em> (star boys) when I\u2019m writing about Lucia. I dressed as one when I was little and today I think the hats are hilarious. But the fact remains, as one long-time reader wrote (hej Linn!), I have often failed to mention the t\u00e4rnor<\/em> (attendants). They usually follow behind Lucia in pairs as part of the luciat\u00e5g<\/em> (Lucia procession), who are then followed by the stj\u00e4rngossar<\/em> and maybe even a red-clad gnome or a gingerbreadperson. Either way, the t\u00e4rnor<\/em> are an incredibly important part of any luciat\u00e5g<\/em>.<\/p>\n Before we get to the four posts from the past, let\u2019s talk a bit about Lucia this year. It\u2019s been in the news a lot because of an ad campaign in which a young black boy dressed as Lucia<\/a>. The ad was met with a lot of love. It was also met with a mix of racist and gendered backlash. That backlash was met, in turn, with a wonderful response using a specific hashtag: #jag\u00e4rlucia to remind people that Lucia is not a static idea, not one stereotype, not one thing or person. Lucia is many things to many different people. Lucia, in the Swedish tradition, can be a white woman, a black woman, even a black boy. Historically, of course, Lucia was sometimes performed by a man. As far back as 1875<\/a>. Traditions are always changing and as a folklorist who studies this sort of thing it\u2019s always exciting to see how the tradition changes. How the tradition changes helps explain why it is important to the people who are practicing it. Because if a tradition doesn\u2019t have any meaning that resonates with folks today, it will die out. Or it will change.<\/p>\n And so, without further ado, here are a few posts about Lucia:<\/p>\n Sankta Lucia in Sweden<\/a><\/p>\n The Lucia tradition involves a woman dressed in white with a crown of candles upon her head. Following her are several young boys, also dressed in white, with conical star covered hats on their heads, and several women dressed in, you guessed it, white. The woman appointed to be Lucia is usually carrying baked goods and coffee to serve. Known as Luciat\u00e5gs (literally a Lucia train), these processions wander through offices and schools on December 13th spreading light and delicious fika materials.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Sankta Lucia and Fire Hazards<\/a><\/p>\n On December 13th, Swedes will celebrate Saint Lucia, an Italian saint and martyr from the fourth century. Santa Lucia, as both the Saint and the day are known here in Sweden, will be venerated by a stereotypically blonde Swedish girl walking around with live candles on her head. She will be followed by girls in white (t\u00e4rnor or attendants), boys (stj\u00e4rngossar or star boys) dressed in white robes with conical hats on decorated with golden stars. To top it all off, this motley crew of innocence will form a parade, known as a Luciat\u00e5g (Lucia train) and walk around with baked goods, such as Lussekatter (Lucia buns).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Sankta Lucia!<\/a><\/p>\n So what\u2019s the big deal with Saint Lucy\u2019s celebration? You know the stuff you hear about Swedes parading with candles (lit candles, no less!) stuck to their heads? Well, St. Lucy\u2019s is the day to do that.<\/p>\n The lady is one of the very few Catholic saints that are celebrated by the Lutheran church. Back in the olden days, her feast coincided with the longest, darkest day of the year, but then when the calendar changed from the unreformed Julian to what we have now, her day ended up on December 13th. The story of St. Lucy is rather gory and I\u2019m not going to tell it here, but if you\u2019re into that sort of stuff \u2013 check it out. What you do need to know is that in Latin, her name shares the root with \u201clux\u201d meaning \u201clight\u201d and that\u2019s the excuse for the candles in the hair that are being sported on St. Lucy\u2019s day in Scandinavia.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n