OriginNamed after Sicilian martyr Saint Lucy. The custom of procession is largely a post-WW2 Swedish import.
- girl (wearing a crown of candles) leading a procession on Saint Lucy's Day, playing on the role of the venerated saint
“ho fekk vera lucia” — she got to be Saint Lucy
- abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsisellipsis of luciadag (“Saint Lucy's Day”)
“snart er det lucia” — soon, it's Saint Lucy's Day
Source: Wiktionary — CC BY-SA 4.0