Welcome to De Krijtberg!
Just like last year, the Swedish Festivities Choir host a classic, Swedish Lucia concert, with Swedish Lucia songs. Money raised goes to charity and to the church.
When: December 15, at 7:00 p.m. (the concert is expected to last approximately 1 hour)
Where: In the beautiful church De Krijtberg in Amsterdam.
What is lucia?
Lucia was a woman who lived in Sicily at the end of the 2nd century. According to legend, she was martyred on December 13, when she was burned alive as punishment for her faith and for feeding the poor. The name means light and comes from the Latin.
The "light celebration" itself can be traced to already existing Swedish customs. According to Nordic folklore, December 13 was a dangerous night because it was believed that supernatural forces were released and it was important to stay awake. At the darkest time of the year in the pre-Christian Nordics, the power of light was conjured to make the light return. It is from these performances, linked to light and darkness, that the Swedish celebration of light originally originates.
All Christmas preparations had to be done for St. Lucia's day and that was celebrated, among other things, by eating and drinking a lot. Another feature of the festivities was a "Lussebrud" who was a fun character, often wearing straw. In older times, "lussa" (Swedish word for walking in a Lucia train, singing) meant that the young people of the village dressed up and collected money for the poor and sick.
There are descriptions of the white-clad Lucia from the upper class in Western Sweden during the 1760s. It then spread to citizens in the cities, and further to the common people in the countryside. Her bright appearance reflects the desire to cast off the dark, and the red ribbon symbolizes the blood sacrificed for the Christian faith. Lucia performed alone or with a couple of companions. When the tradition became common in the cities, the entourage grew and was expanded.
The Lucia of the 18th century as well as the 19th century courted a sleeping family early in the morning, offering something to eat and drink. During the 20th century, the tradition made its way into churches, homes and schools.
About us
The Swedish Festivities Choir is a Swedish youth choir based in Amsterdam. The purpose is to sing Swedish songs and cherish Swedish traditions. We are happy to visit companies or associations to sing and spread joy.
The choir was started in the winter 2021 to celebrate lucia (celebration of light) within the Swedish community in Amsterdam. Back then it was a group of five people, which has since grown larger.
In 2022, The Swedish Festivities Choir held a grand Lucian concert in De Krijtberg Church. The concert was for the benefit of the starving people in Somalia and during the evening the choir received SEK 26,000 which was sent to the United Nations World Food Programme.
The Swedish Festival Choir is always happy to perform. Please contact us if you want to book us for an event.
Book us
The Swedish Festivities Choir mainly consists of members who have devoted a large part of their lives to music. Some study music in Amsterdam and some make a living from their music. This means that we are a group with a wide range of knowledge, where choral singing also can be complemented with instrumental pieces and solo singing.
Although we are mainly a choir that sings Swedish traditional songs, we are always open to other requests. Nothing is impossible!
If you wish to hear us sing, it is recommended that you watch our Lucia concert which was live-streamed on Facebook.
You can find it here.
Contact us
To contact us, please enter your details and write your message below. We try to answer your message within 72 hours.
You can also write to us on our Facebook page, which you can find here.