Cardiff celebrates Sankta Lucia

The youth choir from Skafto and Solberga pictured above performing in Abergavenny last year

Cardiff Bay’s Norwegian Church will be hosting the Sankta Lucia concert celebrating the traditions of Christmas in Scandinavia and Sweden on the 8 December.

Visitors can enjoy this evening for free, which will feature a candlelit procession and a concert of traditional songs. The choir is made up of 17 schoolchildren from the island of Skafto and neighbouring district of Solberga. After the concert, there will be a firework display in the Bay.

Tom Williams, who celebrates the traditions of a Swedish Christmas, said: “I am not Swedish myself but married to a Swede and we as a family continue the traditions in our own way in Wales. Over the years we have organised (for enjoyment) several trips back and forth of choirs for various reasons.”

Sankta Lucia is celebrated on 13 December to honour the legend of St. Lucia in Scandinavia, Sweden and for others all over the world. For many years her legacy has brought hope, faith and a reason to believe in good things to come. There are many different versions of Sankta Lucia but the essential practice on the day is to have a Lucia choir dressed traditionally in procession singing some very well known and beautiful songs.

Tom Williams tells alt.cardiff of the busy few days of celebrations the youth choirs will enjoy, “They are coming over on Friday to stay in Abergavenny. On Saturday they are coming to Cardiff during the day and then sing in the Norwegian church in the evening. They will come back to Abergavenny and will be performing during the Abergavenny Winter Food Festival during Sunday and another church concert in the evening in Christchurch in Abergavenny.

“They head back to Sweden on the Monday and of course will then get ready and perform in their local events in Sweden on the 13^th.”

Santka Lucia concert will be held on 8 December 5.30pm-7pm.

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