Advent Calendar, Day 17
Tag: traditions
Advent Calendar, Day 13
Today it’s Saints Lucy’s day. She brings light to the darkest time and it also means Christmas is near. We had a Saint Lucy procession in school today. It’s a tradition in Scandinavia where one is chosen to be Lucy. She wears a crown with candles or electric ones. She’s usually blonde but these days it’s not that fussy which is a good thing. Anyone should have a chance to be one no matter what the color of their hair is.
The Finnish celebrations have been historically tied to Swedish culture and the Swedish-speaking Finns. They observe “Luciadagen” a week before the Winter Solstice. St Lucy is celebrated as a “beacon of brightness” in the darkest time of year. The first records of St. Lucy celebrations in Finland are from 1898, and the first large celebrations came in 1930, a couple of years after the popularization of the celebrations in Sweden. The St. Lucy of Finland has been elected since 1949 and she is crowned in the Helsinki Cathedral. Local St. Lucies are elected in almost every place where there is a Swedish populace in Finland. The Finnish-speaking population has also lately begun to embrace the celebrations. – Wiki
When I was in kindergarten I wasn’t allowed to be Lucy because my hair was too short. It went to my friend instead. But years later I got be one at home at Christmas. I borrowed an electric crown from a friend. I had a real candle in my hand and sang a traditional song ‘Sankta Lucia’ I read out something and then sang another song. It was much more fun only performing in front of my family. I was glad to be Lucy at least once.
Advent Calendar, Day 7
I don’t protest if I hear Christmas songs but I do protest them when it’s 2 months in advance. Today I listened to them. I have a list on Spotify with modern songs. I also like those traditional ones though. You don’t hear moderns songs on the radio that often. If you really want to listen to songs you want to hear, you should make a playlist on streaming sites like Spotify. Legally of course.
So when is the right time to start listening to Christmas tunes? Closer to Christmas the better, I say. Before that it’s annoying and by the time the real holiday comes, you’re already bored with them. It shouldn’t be like that but it is. I don’t know what the rush is. The same with when to end it. Some stop playing them after Christmas day but still Christmas. In Finland, Sweden and Estonia Christmas ends on St. Knut day which is January 13. But people seems to want to get rid of Christmas as soon as possible. It is strange, people can’t wait for it and yet they can’t wait to get rid of it. Sometimes I wonder the behaviour of certain people. They have no respect for traditions anymore. That’s the way it goes in the modern world and you can’t change that.
I’m not gonna do anything differently. I respect traditions and I’ll keep it that way. People can put their Christmas decorations away right after Christmas Eve if their that hasty. I’m gonna enjoy it until January 13. I’m in no hurry. The same with songs. I’ll listen to them every day until then. Christmas and the songs are only once a year. You can listen to other songs all year around.
In my world 