Every one of the last few years there's been a debate. Every year that debate has been about how the left party extremists, politically correct and feminists ruin (mainly) one of our traditions: Lucia.
In Sweden we are very fond of this tradition. We celebrate the italian saint with a fair woman and her following sisters, maybe a few Saint Stephens (Staffan), who go between the houses or into the church and sing their songs. In many schools and kindergardens the children can also dress up as an elf or cookie. It is a beautiful tradition watched by thousands on the television every year on the 13th of december, and it's still a dream of mine to be chosen for Lucia one day.
The other day I saw, unsuprisingly, a meme about how the discussion now will start about setting stop for this tradition, and like every year before this I took it for right-hand, racist gibberish.
And thought it may have started like that, I sadly recognised that there suddenly was some truth to it.
While I engage in making meatballs, baking gingerbreads, putting together a gingerbread house, setting up new curtains, a christmas tree, decorating with gnomes and reindeers, baking saffron buns and so on the rest of the city is busy shopping (hopefully for christmas presents), working and studying. Maybe we don't have time to care?
"Housewife 3000" my friend comments on my new facebook profile picture. A white Karin Larsson-apron covers my 19th century inspired dress and on the table beside me my gingerbread dough lies waiting. Unlike many others I don't get offended by that comment. I take pride in it. I take pride in being a woman and in being feminine. Because I don't need pants to be worth anything. I don't need blue jeans when talking about politics or playing videogames, and baing and cooking just happens to be an interest of mine, just like playing videogames.
"No Lucia celebrations this year" the local newspaper says, and although I know there are many other arrangements out there I get sad. Not only because this was the biggest and most well known in my city, but because of the overwhelming symbolism.
Those people who actually don't want a Lucia contest and the following celebrations do so because it has typically ben a beauty contest. And there is nothing today more out of fashion than beauty contests. Yet nowhere I see people actively protesting against billboard adverisements (which we all know has a great affect), of a much more worse kind. Besides, the last few years the Lucia contest has not been about beauty, but instead a good voice, not even showing the contestants face until after the voting.
There have also been discussions about whether or not the tradition is excluding people of differnet background as well as of the male gender, and similarities have been pointed out between gingerbread cookies and costumes - and racism against black people. Personally I think putting an end to Lucia would be a ridiculous solution to both of these first possible problems. I would rather see Saint Stephens walking together with the female saint on first row, and people of all colours and beliefs attend in the train and contests. Because you don't need to be a christian to celebrate this. The only thing you need to do is respecting and liking the tradition, just as you would with any other tradition, no matter if it's Chanukka or Ramadan. No one is forcing anyone to participate.
Besides, on the question about equality between men and women, if one would not want to have Lucia and Saint Stephens walking together, maybe they could see this tradition with mostly females as a counterpart to the many other traditions where the main character is a male (Santa or Jesus for example). And all I have to say about gingerbreads being racist is that itis a great misconception.
Now, I know, I know. Traditions change over time. I doubt many of you know that Lucia previously meant you should fear the dark and supernatural beings, that it was then celebrated on the darkest day of the year as a counterpart to midsummers eve, that you stayed up all night because you thought it dangerous to sleep.
It's obviously not only Lucia that has changed over time. How many people today think Good Friday should be gloomy and boring? How many get their christmas presents from Krampus/the Yule Goat instead of Santa?
Lucia is a wonderful tradition, and maybe we would have the engergy to celebrate it, as well as other traditions properly if it wasn't for the hectic society we live in. Maybe we would long for Lucia and her company to arrive if we weren't already fed with gingerbread cookies and julmust from the middle of October - one and a half month too early.
Traditions change, but I experience these changes to be disrespectful rather than natural.
