Why are they called St. Lucia buns?
The night of December 13th is called Lussinatt, and according to old folklore, it was a scary night where light and darkness would fight each other. According to the Julian calendar, Lussinatta was the longest night of the year, the winter solstice. Lussinatta, with its long night, was the beginning of the Christmas period, when the supernatural being Lussi could come out and wreak havoc.
It was her job to check that everything was ready for the Christmas celebrations, and if it wasn’t she would become very angry. The creature Lussi was believed to always have a black cat at her heels. At the same time, we celebrate St Lucia’s Day on the 13th of December, in memory of Saint Lucia from the Catholic faith. These two traditions have merged in modern times.
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Lussekatter i en kurv på et bord.
Lussi’s cat
The name Lucia originates from the Latin word “lucius”, which means luminous. The name Lussi has roots in old Nordic folklore. People would eat a “lussebit” to protect themselves from the evil forces that were out at night. According to old superstition, you must eat evil in order to get rid of it.
When we eat Lussi’s cat, we might get rid of Lussi at the same time. Why aren’t the buns black then? The yellow color is a symbol of the light and the sun that chase away the darkness. St Lucia buns are made with the yellow spice saffron, and they are eaten on Lucia day.
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En svart katt ligger på en grå sofaen og ser inn i kamera.
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