By Theron Larkins
Staff Writer
NEW SWEDEN — The New Sweden Consolidated School was the site for this year’s annual St. Lucia Festival.
The celebration kicked off early Friday morning at the school, as students participated in their ceremonial precession that began at 8:20 a.m.
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| Contributed photo New Sweden Consolidated School’s St. Lucia Festival took place this past Friday at the New Sweden School’s gymnasium, where a number of students participated in both the St. Lucia Festival’s procession, as well as a holiday-themed concert put on by grades K-8. Pictured at left is this year’s St. Lucia, Brianna Moutinho. At right, K-8 students dance around the ceremonial Christmas tree, led by Lukas Lagasse. |
Students finished their regular school day before eventually returning at 5 p.m. for their traditional Swedish meatball supper, where community members came out for a large-scale home-cooked Swedish meal that had everyone satisfied and ready for an evening of traditional Swedish festivities, including lots of music and dancing around the Christmas tree, or “Nu ha vi ljus” as the Swedish would refer to it.
After the hour-long dinner, students, teachers and community members proceeded to the school’s gymnasium for the annual St. Lucia Festival’s concert.
The night began with musicians Jennifer Holmes on the piano, Stephen Boody playing his violin and Lukas Lagasse on the accordion, as the trio played traditional Swedish, as well as well-known Christmas music for those who were piling into the gym prior to the beginning of the concert.
The first- and second-graders began the night’s concert with their rendition of the songs “Let it Go” and “Up on the Housetop.” Next on the card was the fifth- through eighth-grade chorus students performing “Swinging in the Holiday Mood.” Jordon Sandstrom performed “Away in a Manger” on his clarinet, prior to the quintet of Evan, Nicholas and Reid Margeson, Sandstrom and Jennifer Holmes performing “The Little Drummer Boy.”
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| Aroostook Republican photo/Theron Larkins New Sweden Consolidated School’s St. Lucia Festival took place this past Friday at the New Sweden School’s gymnasium, where a number of students participated in both the procession, as well as a holiday-themed concert put on by grades K-8. As part of the end of the St. Lucia Festival, Tomtegubbar Noah Dube passed out cookies to Nancy Todd and Marjorie Bell. |
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| Aroostook Republican photo/Theron Larkins New Sweden Consolidated School’s St. Lucia Festival took place this past Friday at the school’s gymnasium, where a number of students participated in both the St. Lucia Festival’s procession, as well as a holiday-themed concert put on by grades K-8. Pictured in the small ensemble are, from left, Evan Margeson on trumpet, Jordon Sandstrom on clarinet, Jennifer Holmes on trumpet, Nicholas Margeson on baritone and Reid Margeson on drums. |
Next, sisters Amalla and Maya Peterson gave a stirring performance of the song, “Silent Night.” The kindergarten class then sang two songs for the crowd, “Jingle Bell Jazz” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The concert portion of the festival concluded with the third- and fourth-graders singing “Alice the Camel,” “Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”
After the concert was finished, it was time for the students to “Valkommen!” or welcome and introduce the St. Lucia celebration procession. Student Grady McKeough kicked off the celebration with an introduction and explanation in regard to the Lucia legend.
He explained that St. Lucia’s Day is every year on Dec. 13, in Advent. Her feast once coincided with the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year before calendar reforms, so her feast day has become a festival of light. St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated most commonly in Scandinavia, with their long dark winters, where it is a major feast day. In Sweden and other parts of Scandinavia, St. Lucia is represented by a person dressed in a white dress and red sash with a crown or wreath of candles on her head. In both Norway and Sweden, girls dressed as Lucia carry rolls and cookies in procession as songs are sung. Even boys take part in the procession as well, playing different roles associated with Christmas. It is said that to vividly celebrate St. Lucia’s Day will help one live the long winter days with enough light.
New Sweden Principal Laurie Spooner spoke about how proud she was of all the students who participated in the festival, and also thanked the staff and parents who helped to make the event a success.
“We were proud of how well the students did on Friday night,” said Spooner. “The students and staff worked together for a couple of weeks to prepare for Friday night’s event, and students were excited to be part of the festival. Many of the parents also reminisced about the days when they participated in St. Lucia.”
Then, the St. Lucia procession began, led by this year’s St. Lucia, Brianna Moutinho. As the lights in the gym went out, Moutinho was followed out by Starboys Reid Margeson, Silas McNeally, Damien Silva, Kolby Fisher, Evan Margeson, Thomas O’Meara, Nicholas Margeson, Jordon Sandstrom and Walker Clark; Tarnors Ariel Plucker, Amalla Peterson, Mikaela Spooner, Morgan Dube, Angela Butterfield and Tanya Butterfield; Pepparkakor-gubbars Landin Spooner, Neveah Walker, Rion Gendron, Bradin Hewitt and George Solomon; and Tomtegubbars Jolena Easter, Emily Osbone, Noah Dube, Rachel Wilson, Jadyn Holmes and Landeen Moutinho.
As St. Lucia, her Starboys, Tarnors, Pepparkakorgubbars and Tomtegubbars proceeded to the stage, the Lucia Chorus sang traditional Swedish music. The Lucia Chorus included Tasha Breneman, Douglas Butterfield, Crystal Forbes, Anastacia Hearn, Jeremiah Holmes, Maggie Landeen, James O’Meara, Pheobe Solomon, Lars Spooner, Gabriella Anderson, Alexis Cameron, Arianna Easter, George Ferland, Kammie Fisher, Madison Harris, Maya Peterson and Lauren Wetherall.
After the festivities concluded and the St. Lucia participants proceeded back out of the gym, the Pepparkakorgubbars and Tomtegubbars began to pass out the traditional pepparkakor cookies to all those in the crowd. As the pepparkakor was passed out, it was explained that the legend states, if you take a pepparkakor cookie and break it, while making a wish, and it breaks into three pieces, your wish will come true.
“St. Lucia is the biggest community event of our school year and everyone anticipates the day,” Spooner added. “Embracing our community’s Swedish heritage is what makes New Sweden Consolidated School unique. Teachers use the event as part of a cultural and historical lesson for the students.”
