The Chosen One

Saint Lucia celebrations light up the winter and warm people’s hearts every year on December 13.

The celebration of Saint Lucia, a fourth-century martyr from Sicily, has become an established Christmas tradition in Scandinavia. For many years in a row, Finland chooses and publically crowns a national Lucia on December 13. The young woman and her entourage make numerous appearances during the Christmas period to spread seasonal music and happiness.

Beauty in the ever-scanning eye of the media

The first official Finnish Lucia of 1950 might have been too overwhelmed by the attention to manage the amount of online videoclips, photo shoots and statements, not to mention blogging and Facebook updates that are expected of her present-day counterpart. Nominees agree the ultimate choice should not rest on who is most attractive, and certainly not who is most attention-seeking, yet they admit these are real pressures that candidates face.

Nevertheless, welfare organisation Folkhälsan and Swedish-language newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet, that manage the annual elections, work hard to keep Lucia from becoming a pop-idol-esque, commercial phenomenon. Pressure to conform has not managed to blemish the innocence that accompanies the tradition.

Ordinary angels

Fortunately, the task of spreading goodwill does not rest on the shoulders of one national Lucia alone. Happiness can be experienced all around the land as hundreds of towns, schools, kindergartens and even homes choose their own enthusiastic white-clad light-bearers.

Charity fund-raiser

This year the Lucia procession in Helsinki will start traditionallly from the Senat Square. Each year's Lucia is chosen by public vote as a charity fund-raising scheme, and then works for several weeks visiting hospitals, retirement homes and schools and other facilities.

This year's Lucia is Elin Qvist, a 19-year-old student from Kauniainen.