Luciatåg in Österund
EVENTS
Jack de Hosson
12/13/20233 min read
The bringer of light
In Sweden, we celebrate 'Lucia' with the traditional 'Luciatåg' on December 13th each year. Rooted in Swedish folklore, Lucia is a symbolic figure associated with bringing light to the darkest time of the year. The Luciatåg typically involves a procession led by a young woman dressed in a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head. She is accompanied by a group of similarly attired attendants known as 'tärnor' and 'stjärngossar,' also wearing white robes. The participants hold candles and sing traditional Christmas and Lucia songs, creating a magical atmosphere. The Lucia tåg is a beautiful manifestation of light, music, and community, illuminating the otherwise pitch-black Swedish winter.
The great suprise
This year, I received an invitation to attend a Luciatåg held in Östersund by the music students of the Wargentin school. Given that one of these students was my good friend Saga Wiklander, I decided to bring my camera along to capture a snapshot of her in the choir.
However, things took a surprising turn when the first song began. As the choir lined the aisle, she walked, in a white gown with candles in her crown. Saga was leading the entire choir! She had been appointed the main role. It took a few seconds before I fully processed what I was witnessing, but when she passed my row of seats, my jaw dropped with realization, and my focus shifted. Now, I really needed to capture a great photo!
Location
Simply named "The Big Church," Stora Kyrkan in Östersund may appear unassuming from the outside, but it provides a grand experience inside, boasting tall ceilings and amazing acoustical properties.
Stills
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Summary
Not only was it good fun to witness my friend taking on the main role, but since the choir consisted entirely of musical students, the acoustic experience was heavenly. My favorite song they performed was "Carols of the Bells"; and it might very well have been the best rendition I've ever heard!
It was also a photographic challenge pushing myself and my gear to the limit. To bring focus to the choir and the lit candles, they had turned off almost all lighting in the church, leaving me no option but to work with low shutter speeds and some editing tricks to achieve clean images. Particularly challenging was the absence of a spotlight on Saga, causing her to blend into the choir rather than stand out. I am, as usual, super impressed with the Fujifilm XH2s and the surgically sharp XF16-55 f/2.8.
Nevertheless, I'm happy with the images and actually ended up printing one for Saga as an early Christmas present and memory.
Until next year, Lucia!
/Jack de Hosson