On the morning of Friday 9th of December, we celebrated the beginning of the holidays with a beautiful Scandinavian tradition, Santa Lucia.

 

Santa Lucia has been celebrated in the ASH community for almost thirty years. Organized by our community of Scandinavian families, it is a way of sharing their culture with others, while strengthening their feeling at home in the Netherlands. Across all grades, students from Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark dressed in white and sang traditional songs in the theater. As in tradition, the eldest girl was appointed as Santa Lucia. After the performance, she led the group into a tour of ASH, where their songs were heard by all students and teachers through the hallways. Before the procession started, the youngest girls in the group were particularly concerned about the candles that our Santa Lucia balanced on her head. “I hope they don’t fall!”, they said.

 

Santa Lucia marks the beginning of Christmas celebrations in Scandinavia and brings hope, light and happiness to one of the darkest months of the year. In the Netherlands, we also experience darkness during winter, so this was a wonderful way to start our morning. The festival, in early December, has its roots in the Norse pagan feast of the winter solstice and is celebrated in the memory of the Italian Christian martyr, Santa Lucia.

 

As the procession came to an end, students, parents and staff raised a glass of child-friendly Glögg and enjoyed homemade Scandinavian treats in celebration of this heart-warming tradition.

 

“In Sweden, where I’m from, Santa Lucia is everywhere. The whole country stops. In schools, public places, you turn on the telly…it’s everywhere. It’s a big tradition and that’s why it’s nice to share it”. - ASH Parent. We are lucky to share in this tradition that helps us understand and appreciate the many cultures that make our School an international learning community, a truly unique ASH experience.

 

#ASHexperience

#JoyfulLearning Environments