Scenes from the Caribbean (Islands including Grenada, Barbados and St. Lucia)

NUMBERS DON’T.

🕯️ Happy St Lucia’s Day! 🕯

Yuletide in many folk traditions is a huge time for different kinds of magic, and that is very very true of Nordic folk customs. And as seems appropriate for the year I’m having, this year I’m thinking about Catholic syncretism of Lussi Longnight.

This is the night when the month of Jul begins.

Lussi is a spirit who rules over this night. Her name translates to “Light,” and she is known as a mother or queen of the vettir (spirit) and Huldrefolk. She would ride around the countryside with her horse of Yule Riders and look in to homes to check that everything is ready for Yule. This was also the night when the animals would get together and pass judgment on how their humans have kept them - a vestige of animist, reciprocal relationships. It is important to celebrate Lussi Longnight to preserve your health and have a good winter.

In the Catholic tradition, a young girl dressed in a white dress, red sash, and a crown with four candles. She still parades through the streets, and Lucia’s name still means “light.” She has the power to bring back the Sun. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind.

Together, these two form a powerful image for this day of celebration: we pray to them to bring back the light and to ease the hardship of winter.

📸 credits: