Loving Life Blog

I had the pleasure to attend the annual December Night celebration in Balboa Park, San Diego – what was once called Christmas on the Prado. I think the current name make more sense – the feeling of Christmas celebration was far away. It felt more like a food feast and beer fest, with the rock band from party area playing louder than the Christmas Choir on the main stage and the main area had commercial tents for sponsors rather than vending of Christmas delicacies and gifts. Half naked promotion girls with a featured bottle of liquor in their hand. While kids walked buy – and I was freezing my butt off.

Yes, I am proud to be Swedish, and it is with very objective eyes that I can say that the area by Museum of Man, where SWEA always have had their Christmas Market, Glögg serving and Lucia Procession, was the only place where I felt the atmosphere of a really nice Christmas Market. I knew that there was a competition the first night, when the Swedish Lucia Procession performed by young children, was drowning in the sound of a Mexican Mariachi band calling people to go to the new beer garden of the Museum of Man. The second night when I was there a group of drumming people paraded by. Someone close by said “What the f-k is that?” “Occupy Lucia!”.

That said – the Swedish Lucia Procession made the cover of Union Tribune the following Sunday morning.

Today, December 13, is the day of Santa Lucia in Sweden. This is how it could have sound:

Next year, I will attend the new San Francisco Christmas Market – a market I know will live up to it’s name. Check out the site and complete the email list so that you get the information about it!

Enjoy the season!

Johanna