Lussi Night and Luciadagen

Tonight is Lussi Night in Norway and in Sweden, and tomorrow is Luciadagen (pronounced LOO-sha-da-gen), or St. Lucia’s Day, or St. Lucy’s Day.

It's hard to sort out all the Lucys: We have St. Lucia, a Sicilian woman in the reign of Diocletian who became a Christian martyr. Because her name means light, she was appointed to be the patron saint for the eyes.

We also have the older Roman goddess Lucina, also the goddess of light, and of childbirth- bringing children to light.

And in Scandinavia, we have Lussi, a female demon or witch accompanied by an entourage of gnomes and spirits called Lussiferda.

Agenda:
1. Lusse-vigil
2. Set out more candles
3. Make Lussekatt (St. Lucia buns)

1. Lusse-vigil:
Luciadagen began as solstice festival in pagan Scandinavia: In the old Julian calendar, December 13th was the day of the winter solstice, and the eve of the solstice was called Lussi Night, because that was the start of the Wild Hunt or Lussiferda. The Lussiferda was a host of chaotic spirits that rode through the air and harmed or cursed anyone in their way. It was dangerous to be out during Lussi Night!

In the old days, folks stayed up all night on Lussi Night, to protect the farm from the spirits, and finish important tasks. According to tradition, tasks like threshing, spinning, and weaving, as well as the preparations for Yule, had to be finished by Lussi Night, or else the spirits would come to punish the household, vandalize the farm, and possibly abduct family members (especially naughty children).

When Christianity came to Sweden, Lussi Night became the eve of the feast of St. Lucia, the Queen of Light. Now the evening and night before Luciadagen is a time for all-night parties, called the Lusse-vigil. 

I kind of appreciate the idea of a date by which one needs to be finished with holiday tasks; if I was done now, I could better enjoy the season without so much work hanging over my head. On the other hand, I don’t think preparations should feel like work. So, my hope is to finish some gifts today so I can send out my last out-of-town gifts.

2. Set out more candles:
Because Lucia means light, and the theme is the return of the sun, this is the day that I always set up my angel chimes and other special candles.

3. Make Lussekatt (St. Lucia buns):
It’s the custom in Sweden for the oldest daughter in the family to play Lucia; she dresses in white, with a crown of candles, and brings coffee and Lucia buns to each member of the family tomorrow morning.

Lussekatt (Devil cats) were orinally meant to ward off the witches and demons of Lusi Night: If a bad spirit was chasing you, you could appease it by throwing a sweet bun over your shoulder. The ends of the Lussekatt are coiled in a backwards S-shape called a Sun Spiral.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. yeast 
• 1/4 c. warm water (110ºF) 
• 1 c. milk 
• 1/2 c. butter 
• 1/2 c. sugar 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1/8 tsp. saffron* 
• 1 egg + 1 egg for glaze 
• 4-1/2 c. flour 
• 24 raisins

Yield: Makes 12 buns-

1- Combine yeast and warm water in a mixing bowl, and stir until dissolved.

2- Warm together the milk, butter, sugar, salt, and saffron. (*Saffron is too expensive for me. I used a recommended substitute: a pinch of turmeric plus 1/8 tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika.) Allow it to cool to about 100ºF and stir this into the yeast mixture, with 1 egg.

3- Stir in the flour to make a soft ball of dough- you may need a bit more flour. Knead on a floured board for 10 minutes (I let the bread hook do the kneading).

After rising

4- Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

5- Punch the dough down and knead again gently. Divide into 12 pieces and roll each into a 12" rope. 

Coil the ends in a backwards S-shape (called a Sun Spiral) and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

 Cover and let rise for 25 minutes.

6- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Brush the buns with a glaze of egg and water. Put a raisin in the center of each coil. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve warm with coffee!