Swedish Saint Lucia celebration – a celebration of light

The Embassy of Sweden in Vilnius invites You to a celebration of Saint Lucia Day on Tuesday, December 13, 19:00. On this occasion a traditional Swedish Saint Lucia concert will be held in St. John`s Church, Universiteto str. 3, Vilnius. with The Fagii Vocal Ensemble, choir from the School of Art, Lund, Sweden. The choir will perform the traditional Swedish Lucia songs. In Sweden the Saint Lucia is a celebration of light and of the coming of Christmas. Across the whole of Sweden Saint Lucia has been celebrated today. In schools, hospitals, in workplaces and public spaces, choirs such as this sing the song we just heard. The repertoire of the Saint Lucia is well known to all Swedes, it is a truly a central piece of Swedish culture. In Lithuania, the Swedish Embassy has celebrated St. Lucia every year since its opening in Vilnius in 1991. ‘As the new Ambassador I am delighted to host my first St. Lucia celebration in Vilnius. It is a beautiful tradition when people gather to celebrate light and the coming of Christmas’, says Cecilia Ruthström-Ruin, Ambassador of Sweden to Lithuania. The Swedish celebration is originally a mixture of pagan and Christian traditions. Saint Lucia was a saint of Syracuse who died a martyrs death in the year of 310 after Christ. But the celebration of Saint Lucia also coincides with an old pagan festival of the winter solstice. Today, Lucia is also the herald of the Yul - Christmas. After the concert the Swedish mulled wine - glögg -ginger cookies and saffron buns will be served in the courtyard of Vilnius University. The event is free of charge. Lets celebrate St. Lucia Day together. Welcome!