A day for trolls and saffron bread

It doesn’t need to be a Friday to be perilous; sometimes it’s enough that it’s the thirteenth. For today is St. Lucia – as it is every 13th December. It celebrated all over Scandinavia and parts of Germany.

The day is named after the Christian saint St. Lucia, who died in 304 in Syracusa in Sicily. Like most martyrs she died rather horribly. First they tried to burn her, then to boil her in oil – and then finally beheaded her.

So connected with fire and with a name that means light it’s perhaps not a great surprise that this day is celebrated with processions led by girls with a crown decorated with four candles. They sing of the light that comes and banishes the darkness.

But that is (mostly) the catholic Christian version. There is another.

For in the Scandinavian celebration there is also a mention of Lussi, quite possibly a Scandinavian version of the Lucia name – but that’s as far as the resemblance goes. For Lussi is dark and slightly monstrous, and creeps around looking for people who break the Yule traditions. She likes to creep down the chimney (like some dark Santa Claus), crashing into the hearth spreading fire, ash and embers everywhere. She isn’t alone in her travels either – this night all the trolls, goblins and creepy things (know collectively as underjordiske or "those who dwell beneath the earth") are also out traveling. They haunt the country side in large packs, reminiscent of The Wild Hunt , but here they are called Yule-raid or Lussiferd. You do not want to be caught by them.

In addition to this the dead awaken. Some of them go to church, but most of the dead return to where they used to live. You don’t want to meet them either.

So no children must be let out after dark, and you must not go into the barn after dark – because on this day the animals can talk and it’s bad luck to hear what they say. Protect all your thresholds with crosses painted with tar or tools made of steel (preferable a knife or a pair of scissors). Hang brooms under the stable ceiling, so the trolls will take them when they go riding, instead of you horses.

It seems a little odd though, to place such dark importance on a day in the middle of December. Well, according to the old Julian calendar this day used to be the solstice – but with the change to the Gregorian calendar it became the 13th instead. Now the date may have change, but the traditions thankfully lingered.


So there are all these horrible stories – and there are cakes! Oh, yes – for a great part of the modern celebration is the baking of saffron bread. Like this: ( (picture) )

So happy Lussi - and stay indoors after dark yeah? ;D


ETA: And if anyone wonders what a crown decorated with candles looks like there is a picture here.

A day for trolls and saffron bread

It doesn’t need to be a Friday to be perilous; sometimes it’s enough that it’s the thirteenth. For today is St. Lucia – as it is every 13th December. It celebrated all over Scandinavia and parts of Germany.

The day is named after the Christian saint St. Lucia, who died in 304 in Syracusa in Sicily. Like most martyrs she died rather horribly. First they tried to burn her, then to boil her in oil – and then finally beheaded her.

So connected with fire and with a name that means light it’s perhaps not a great surprise that this day is celebrated with processions led by girls with a crown decorated with four candles. They sing of the light that comes and banishes the darkness.

But that is (mostly) the catholic Christian version. There is another.

For in the Scandinavian celebration there is also a mention of Lussi, quite possibly a Scandinavian version of the Lucia name – but that’s as far as the resemblance goes. For Lussi is dark and slightly monstrous, and creeps around looking for people who break the Yule traditions. She likes to creep down the chimney (like some dark Santa Claus), crashing into the hearth spreading fire, ash and embers everywhere. She isn’t alone in her travels either – this night all the trolls, goblins and creepy things (know collectively as underjordiske or "those who dwell beneath the earth") are also out traveling. They haunt the country side in large packs, reminiscent of The Wild Hunt , but here they are called Yule-raid or Lussiferd. You do not want to be caught by them.

In addition to this the dead awaken. Some of them go to church, but most of the dead return to where they used to live. You don’t want to meet them either.

So no children must be let out after dark, and you must not go into the barn after dark – because on this day the animals can talk and it’s bad luck to hear what they say. Protect all your thresholds with crosses painted with tar or tools made of steel (preferable a knife or a pair of scissors). Hang brooms under the stable ceiling, so the trolls will take them when they go riding, instead of you horses.

It seems a little odd though, to place such dark importance on a day in the middle of December. Well, according to the old Julian calendar this day used to be the solstice – but with the change to the Gregorian calendar it became the 13th instead. Now the date may have change, but the traditions thankfully lingered.


So there are all these horrible stories – and there are cakes! Oh, yes – for a great part of the modern celebration is the baking of saffron bread. Like this: ( (picture) )

So happy Lussi - and stay indoors after dark yeah? ;D


ETA: And if anyone wonders what a crown decorated with candles looks like there is a picture here.