Arts
Read More ›
Scandinavian Community of Seattle Celebrates Santa Lucia Festival
Seattle’s Swedish community takes on the holiday season
Celebrated on December 13, the darkest time of the year, Santa Lucia’s Day originated in Scandinavian countries, and commemorates the charitable work of St. Lucy (or Santa Lucia), an Italian martyr known for her compassion and generous nature. Like many winter holiday traditions, Santa Lucia’s Day embodies a spirit of giving as well as a feeling of community.
Not familiar with the festive occasion? In Sweden and other Scandinavian countries the holiday starts when the eldest daughter of the household carries a tray of warm saffron buns and hot coffee to the members of her family. A wreath of glowing candles adorns her head, and she wears a white gown tied with a crimson sash. Later in the day, all the girls and boys of the town put on similar white robes or pajama-like garments to march in a procession through the town. They wear the lighted wreaths on their heads and sing festive songs to welcome the light back to the Earth and bring comfort and joy in the midst of the darkness.
The Scandinavian communities of Seattle, such as the Swedish Cultural Club (swedishclubnw.org), revel in this beautiful tradition each year, and there are several celebrations around town where you can get in the Santa Lucia spirit: Seattle Children’s Museum (thechildrensmuseum.org) as part of its multi-national Festivals of Light season; the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard (nordicmuseum.org); and multiple churches in the Seattle area, such as Our Redeemer’s Lutheran in Ballard (ourredeemers.net) and the First Covenant Church on Capitol Hill (firstcovenantseattle.org).
Capitol Hill’s First Covenant Church (400 E. Pike St.) celebrates with its annual Julfest, a Scandinavian-style Advent service, featuring a full evening of Christmas music, including lessons and carols in both Swedish and English, and a traditional St. Lucia procession. This year’s program will be held on December 7 at 4pm, followed by a candlelight reception where guests can sample traditional Swedish pastries, such as saffron buns and ginger cookies. And we all know there’s nothing like a good cookie to make this time of year a little brighter.
Traditional Swedish Christmas pastry; photo by Matmamman
Follow Us
Rearview Mirror: Crocodile Guardians, Late-Summer Potato Salad, and a Halloween Costume Hunt
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
COOKING WITH ASTER PANTRY A few leaves turn, my inbox fills with fall festival pitches and cozy brunch menus, and suddenly I want to stay home with a glass of wine and cook. I love this nesting season, though I’m not ready to give up summer produce. Earlier this year, I wrote about Seattle chefs…
WALKDONTRUN Returns This Saturday, Turning Downtown Seattle Into a Sprawling Art Show
In its second year, the free festival brings 200-plus artists to a 20-block route September 19, with a secret garden and a former 7-Eleven stocked with art.
Most walks through downtown Seattle involve trying to get somewhere. On September 19, the crosswalk itself might be the reason to stop. Heap Troupe will turn a four-way crossing into a performance, one of dozens of encounters planned for this year’s WALKDONTRUN. The free, all-ages art walk stretches across more than 20 blocks. From 11…
At Two Dot Schoolhouse, Ruth Marie Tomlinson Builds an Artistic Community
For nearly 20 years, the Seattle artist and her husband have welcomed artists, writers, and musicians to a historic Montana schoolhouse. Now they’re searching for its next stewards.
At her solo exhibition last year at The Vestibule, Seattle artist Ruth Marie Tomlinson presented a new series of work inspired by her close readings of British nature writer J.A. Baker’s The Peregrine and Icelandic author Sjón’s The Blue Fox. As if on sheets torn from a sketchbook, her pages included excerpts and outtakes of…
Rearview Mirror: Seahawks Off the Field, Seattle on the Board, and Smoked Oysters
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
HOOKED ON KNOCKS Admittedly, I am late to this one. The Seahawks’ first season of Hard Knocks, the HBO series that follows NFL teams through training camp, premiered in August, but until last week, I had never heard of it. To be honest, my football knowledge starts with knowing what a touchdown is and doesn’t…