Santa Lucia, celebrated on the 13th of December, is a commemoration of the historical martyr, Lucia of Syracuse. The figure is traditionally represented in concerts by a person wearing a crown of candles. But in Copenhagen, the celebration is also held on water with a procession of about 300 kayaks passing by the harbour. This annual Lucia kayak procession has been taking place since 2006 and has grown hugely popular with people braving the cold to secure a spot hours in advance. Originally a Swedish tradition, Lucia is celebrated in Denmark since the mid 1940s. In the old almanac, Lucia Night was the longest of the year and in the traditional procession Lucia wears ‘light in her hair’, singing together with girls and boys clad in white full-length gowns to bear the light in the dark winter. The celebrations represent one of the foremost cultural traditions, with their clear reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth. IMAGES