St Lucy’s Day on Thursday 13 December is a day of candles on one of the darkest days of the year. Indeed until the change of calendar it was the darkest, or shortest, day.

Gloom descends in Sweden at lunchtime where Santa Lucia is a very big occasion. Early in the morning in homes and later in churches a young lady appears wearing a crown of candles. This represents St Lucy who placed candles on her head to see the way so that her hands were free to carry food to prisoners.

Lucy lived in Siracusa in Sicily where she was martyred for her faith on this day in 304. Today the town stages a huge slow procession taking her statue from the cathedral to the site of her death.

The Lucia song heard today all over Sweden at Santa Lucia events comes from the fishing port Santa Lucia in Naples where the seaside church stages an outdoor procession.

Barcelona Cathedral‘s St Lucy Chapel, which has some relics, attracts hundreds of people today and so by the late afternoon the candles are spreading outside into cloister.

Outside the cathedral there is a Fira de Santa Llucia (St Lucy Market) selling crib figures.

As in Sweden today 13 December is an Advent landmark with a hint of Christmas.