The First Day of Yule: Lussinatte and Jólabókaflóð
Happy Yuletide! On Sunday we celebrated Lussinatte, the eve of the first day of Yule, putting up the Yule tree and decking the halls with all our seasonal decorations. We baked and ate Lussikatter and listened to our Yule-themed playlist. The weather was bleak and drizzly but it was warm and cosy, very hyggelig, inside.
1 July marks the first day of the Yule season in the southern hemisphere, culminating in the mid-winter celebration of Yule, on the 15th of July in Australia. Yule is the biggest of the winter celebrations in my household. On the Saturday closest to mid-winter, the 13th of July this year, we host a Yule party with all the festive trimmings, delicious food and a merry ambience.
In today’s article, we will explore the Scandinavian and Germanic origins of Yule, the celebration of Lussinatte and the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóð. As an early Yule gift, a link to the Yule playlist on Spotify is provided at the end of this article, along with a recipe for Lussikatter.
Yule
The celebration of Yule is a widespread tradition across Northern Europe, most likely originating from Proto-Indo-European traditions, before the bronze age and over 7,000 years ago. The word Yule or Jól in Old Norse is plural, meaning parties or festivities, occurring between the winter solstice and midwinter. Midwinter, was most likely the first full moon after the winter solstice, meaning that it did not have a set date in Germanic calendars, rather, it followed the lunar calendar cycles and depending on when the full moon occurred it could have been celebrated for an entire month.
The name for midwinter in Old Norse was Jólablót. While Jóla refers to Yule, the term blót is the root word for the English blood, the German blut, and of course blod in the Scandinavian languages and it refers to the blood spilt during ritual sacrifice. The sacrifice of animals (and in some stories, humans) during winter is a significant seasonal observance in agricultural societies. For Germanic peoples, the Jólablót was thought to be a ritual ceremony to honour and appease Nordic Gods such as Thor or Odin. It was also an important aspect of animal husbandry, where sacrificing the least healthy animals ensured that the remaining healthiest animals would have enough food to weather the winter season. It was also important to ensure that meat was available for the Yule feasts, which served a social bonding as well as a religious function.
Lussinatte: The First Day of Yule
In Scandinavian pre-Christian traditions, the first day of the Yule season was celebrated with Lussinatte or Lussilangnatte (Lussi’s Night or Lussi’s Long Night), on the eve of 13 December. Lussinatte traditionally marked the winter solstice in the Julian calendar before the Gregorian calendar shifted the date of the solstice to 21 December. In Australia, 1 June marks the first day of winter, with the winter solstice occurring on or around 21 June. In my household, midwinter is celebrated on the closest Saturday to the calendrical midwinter on 15 July and Lussinatte is celebrated on 1 July to mark the start of our Yuletide (Yule season).
Lussi
Lussi was a powerful vettir (spirit) and the mother and queen of the Huldrefolk, the hidden people, which include vettir, gnomes, trolls and even the gods. Her name meant ‘light’ and according to some traditions, she led the Asgardsreia (Riders of Asgard) also called the Julereia (Yule Riders) across the wintry land similar to the Celtic Wild Hunt.
The ‘pale-faced and terrible’ Lussi would check that everything was ready for Yule and people stayed indoors eating, celebrating and keeping the lights on to placate Lussi and her retinue. If the spinning, baking, brewing, and animal tending was not done in preparation for Yule, Lussi would come down the chimney or press her terrifying face against the windows and cry out Inkje bryggja, inkje baga, inkje store eld hava! (Not brewed, not baked, no great fire do they have).
On this night it was also believed that animals would talk amongst themselves, discuss the year’s events, and judge how they were treated by humans during the year. If they were treated badly or were not well cared for, Lussi and her retinue of winter spirits would wreak vengeance upon those people judged poorly by the animals. In the hope that the animals would give Lussi a favourable report, people made sure the barns and stables were clean, warm, and comfy and their animals were fed a special meal before Lussinatte began.
Lussikatter
Another important ritual related to Lussinatte was the baking of a special type of bread or cake called Lussibullar (Lussi buns). Lussibullar are brioche buns baked with saffron or turmeric to impart a bright yellow colour, symbolising gold, sun, and light. The dough was separated into smaller pieces and each piece was formed into various shapes and scrolls representing different animals. The most popular of these is called Lussikatter (Lussi-cats), shaped into two spirals with raisins or other dried fruit placed in the middle of each spiral to represent cats’ eyes, symbolising sight in the dark. The symbols of the cat, the colour gold and the spirals are linked to the ancient Nordic Goddess Freya as far back as the Nordic Bronze Age. Freya was said to ride in a chariot pulled by two grey or orange tabby cats, who were a gift from the god Thor.
Santa Lucia
When Christianity spread through the Roman Empire, the tradition of Lussinatte was converted into a celebration of the Roman Catholic Santa Lucia or Saint Lucia. Lucia was a young Sicilian girl from Syracuse who martyred herself for her faith, rather than marrying a pagan. This next part of the story has a trigger warning. Please skip this paragraph if you would prefer not to read about the violence that Lucia experienced.
When Lucia was a young child, some say as young as 5 years old, she took a vow of virginity and dedicated herself to the Christian religion. She helped feed Christian refugees hiding in catacombs under her city who were trying to escape religious persecution. She was said to have brought them food and drink on a tray, with a wreath of candles on her head to keep her hands free. When she refused marriage, she was sentenced to indenture in a brothel but when the local authorities came to take her, they could not move her. Some stories say that her eyes were gouged out and others say that her throat was run through with a sword while she was praying. She is the patron saint of the blind and the poor and is often depicted holding a platter bearing her eyes, a torch or a dagger, and with a wound in her neck.
Lucia’s name also means ‘light’ from the Roman word lux and her celebration is still marked in Europe, particularly in Sweden and Italy. In Northern Italy, Santa Lucia visits homes on the eve of December 13 to give presents to well-behaved and obedient children. She is often depicted riding a donkey, and families leave out offerings of coffee and cake for her, and hay for her donkey. In southern Italy, Santa Lucia is honoured with traditional feasts and a religious procession of her statue.
This custom is also common in Slovenia and in Croatia, where Sveta Lucija, St Lucy’s Day is a national holiday.
Swedish Lucia Celebrations
Sweden also holds a public procession for St Lucia. However, the Swedish custom involves children dressed in long white gowns, holding candles, and singing as the sun sets on the evening of December 12 or as the day breaks on December 13. The procession is led by a girl representing St Lucia, with a red sash tied around her waist, and a wreath of evergreen plants crowned with lit (or these days, electric) candles.
In more modern celebrations, St Lucia is accompanied by her handmaidens, who also wear white dresses with red sashes around their waists. They hold a single candle in their hands and their crowns are plain wreaths or tinsel. Behind the handmaidens usually walk the star boys wearing all white with cone hats and holding sticks adorned with a star-shaped lantern. Depending on where the procession is being held the company can also include lantern-carrying children dressed as gingerbread men, Nisse/Tomte or other Christmas/Yule-themed costumes, all singing the Saint Lucia song.
The short (2:49 mins) video below provides a succinct and humorous introduction to Lucia celebrations in Sweden.
The Saint Lucia song is taken from the Italian Santa Lucia song. Here is an English translation of one stanza.
The night treads heavily
around yards and dwellings
In places unreached by sun,
the shadows brood
Into our dark house she comes,
bearing lighted candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.Source: Sweden.se
In Sweden, St Lucia is depicted wearing her candle crown and often carries a tray from which she serves Lussikatter and coffee or Glögg. A popular household tradition involves the eldest girl child representing St Lucia, dressed in her white dress with a red sash around her waist and a candle wreath on her head. She carries a tray of coffee and lussikatter to her parents in the early morning, accompanied by her siblings and other members of the household, usually all singing the St Lucia song.
Lutzelfrau
Saint Lucy’s Day is also celebrated to some extent in Germany, though its traditions are centred on the witch Lutzelfrau, an aspect of the goddess Perchta. Lutzelfrau gives gifts of apples, nuts and dried plums to good children on the morning of Saint Lucy’s Day but leaves coal for the naughty children. We will explore other, more famous Christmas coal and gift-giving characters closer to the Christmas season at the end of the year.
Jólabókaflóð: Iceland’s Yule Book Flood
Iceland has a charming Yule tradition that is becoming popular around the world. Jólabókaflóð, meaning Yule book flood, is an Icelandic tradition that celebrates the joy of reading and books during the Christmas or Yule season. The tradition dates back to World War II when paper was one of the few available resources due to import restrictions. As a result, books became a popular gift choice, and the tradition of exchanging books on Christmas or Yule Eve took root.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Icelandic publishers release a plethora of new book titles through a book catalogue called the Bókatíðindi (Book Bulletin), and families eagerly anticipate the “Book Flood.” On Christmas or Yule Eve, Icelanders exchange books as presents and spend the evening cozying up with their new literary treasures. It is a time of relaxation, and indulgence, immersed in the world of words, before the business of Yule begins in the morning.
The Jólabókaflóð tradition has contributed to Iceland’s status as a nation of book lovers. The country has one of the highest rates of book consumption per capita in the world, and the literary culture is deeply ingrained in Icelandic society. The Jólabókaflóð tradition not only fosters a love for reading but also serves as a way to support local authors and publishers.
In my household, we enjoy giving gifts of books and winter pyjamas on Yule Eve and spending a hyggelig night together drinking hot chocolate and reading. Many Australians have started to adopt the tradition of Jólabókaflóð for Christmas (in the middle of our hot summer), adapting it for the Australian climate: warm pyjamas are swapped for something more suited to the stinking hot weather (boxers and singlets usually do the trick), and the hot chocolate is replaced with an ice cold drink. I love this tradition so much that I celebrate it twice a year, with Australian-themed books for our Christmas Jólabókaflóð in summer and wintry-themed ones for our Jólabókaflóð on Yule Eve in July.
The weather might be different but the sentiment is the same, there is no better way to spend the night before Yule or Christmas, than by snuggling up (or spreading out under the aircon) with a book, whether it is in the depths of winter or on a hot summer’s night.
Here is a link to the Spotify playlist I listen to during Yuletide.
Most songs on the playlist are secular, though if religious themes are mentioned they are minimal and not central to their main theme. There are no songs related to Santa or gift-giving as they are not part of our winter Yule traditions, although I couldn’t avoid including one of my favourite songs, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, even if it does mention those things, the rest of the song is perfect for the season. The playlist does include vintage Christmas (Yule) classics that focus on the wintry weather. It also includes songs in French, German and Scandinavian languages, including Finnish. Why not create your own playlist and add your favourite seasonal music? If you know of any songs that might be good to include on my playlist, please do let me know.
St. Lucia Saffron Buns
PREP TIME: 2 hrs 30 mins, COOK TIME: 12 mins, TOTAL TIME: 2 hrs 42 mins, SERVINGS: 12 to 14 servings
As promised, here is the recipe I use to make delicious lussikatter for Lussinatte. The dough can be made overhead and refrigerated overnight. Saffron is traditionally used but I prefer turmeric as it's more easily accessible, cheaper and provides a nice flavour.
Ingredients
3/4 cup milk (175ml)
1 teaspoon turmeric (more to taste) or saffron threads if preferred
1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup (50g) white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
3 1/2 (490g) all-purpose flour (good quality gluten-free flour can be used), reserve extra
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of ground cardamom, optional
1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream or greek yoghurt
2 large eggs
Raisins, or crystalised ginger pieces to garnish
Glaze — 1 egg, beaten
Directions
- Heat the milk, and turmeric with one teaspoon of sugar, remove from heat to dissolve sugar and let cool until warm to the touch.
- Bloom the yeast by sprinkling the yeast over the the warm turmeric-infused milk, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and cardamom in a bowl.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the yeast milk turmeric mixture, the eggs, the butter, and the sour cream/greek yoghurt.
- Mix the ingredients until well combined.
- Knead the dough, adding a teaspoon of flour at a time if needed until the dough is soft and slightly sticky but easy to dislodge from your fingers when you handle it.
- Shape the dough into a ball, an leave it in the bowl covered with a damp (but not wet). You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate overnight. cloth place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. (You can refrigerate the dough at this point if you wish.)
- When you are ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 205°C and let the dough proof by sitting it in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
- When the dough has proofed, knead it a couple of times then break pieces off and form them into balls about 4–5 centimetres wide (60 to 70 grams).
- Roll the balls into snakes, about 35 centimetres long then curl the ends in opposite directions, forming an “S” with spirals at each end. Place on a lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Cover with a clean cloth and place in a warm spot until the dough shapes double in size, 30 minutes to an hour.
- Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl, brush the lussikatter with the egg wash then place raisins or crystalised ginger pieces onto the centres of both spirals.
- Bake the lussikatter for about 10 to 11 minutes (turning halfway through cooking to ensure even browning), until the buns are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before eating.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the origins and traditions of Yule, Lussinatte and Jólabókaflóð. Next week we will explore the history and traditions of the Yule/Christmas Tree and the Yule Log. Until then, Glaedelig Jul, God Jol and Merry Yule!
