Advent posting - Day 13 - Lucia day

 St. Lucia is a special day in the Swedish calendar. Here is the story, adapted from Wikipedia:

Luciadagen or Saint Lucy's Day, is a Christian feast day celebrated on 13 December in Advent, commemorating Saint Lucy, a 3rd-century martyr, who according to legend brought "food and aid to Christians hiding in the catacombs" using a candle-lit wreath to "light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible".

Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations represent one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden, with their clear reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth.

Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an abiding role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.

Lucia is celebrated with singing chants, and all Swedes know the standard Lucia song by heart, and everyone can sing it, in or out of tune. The Lucia celebrations also include ginger snaps and sweet, saffron-flavoured buns (lussekatter) shaped like curled-up cats and with raisin eyes. You eat them with glögg or coffee.

Light is very important in Sweden, especially in the darkness of winters. On Lucia day, we usually get up extra early and by 7:30 we are all at work, eating a saffron-bun and drinking alcohol-free glogg. In some departments, there's even a Lucia train, where one person dresses as Lucia, with a crown of light on the head, and the other ones follow behind, chanting and all dressed in white robes.

Tea behind the window: Gingerbread treat

Oreo behind the window: Chocolate ball

Running: 35 minutes (window 7)