Response to interpellation 2025/26:271 on traditional Lucia processions in schools
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
L argues that the school should promote cultural heritage and traditions, but that it is up to each school and head of school to decide whether the Lucia celebration should be carried out 1. L emphasizes that the government is working on new curricula to improve the school system and increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession so that teachers do not opt out of traditions due to stress or lack of time 2 3. L argues that it is important to address the fundamental problem of teacher shortages so that the school can function as a key to integration 2 3 4 and does what is necessary now so that this debate does not need to be had in the future 4. SD considers Lucia to be a unique and invaluable cultural heritage that functions as an inclusive force and an important integration measure for newcomers 5. SD argues that it is a problem if the school is allowed to opt out of this heritage and that the government should take responsibility for protecting and strengthening the tradition nationally 5 6. SD considers arguments about stress or the Convention on the Rights of the Child to be excuses and that children benefit from meaningful activities that train self-confidence and cooperation skills 6. SD argues that the minister's answer is evasive and that the government should take concrete measures to strengthen the Lucia celebration in school 5 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)
Madam Speaker! Markus Wiechel has asked me how I view the fact that more students and parents are not allowed to participate in a traditional Lucia celebration and whether I and the government intend to take any measures to strengthen the Lucia celebration in schools.
According to the curriculum for compulsory school (Lgr 22), the school's mission is, among other things, to promote learning where the individual is stimulated to acquire and develop knowledge and values. The school shall be characterized by care for the individual, consideration, and generosity. According to the curriculum, education and upbringing in a deeper sense is a matter of transferring and developing a cultural heritage – values, traditions, languages, and knowledge – from one generation to the next. At the same time, it is established that the teaching provided shall be non-confessional.
Lucia celebration can be seen as part of the Swedish cultural heritage and can therefore be highlighted as a cultural tradition in schools. At the same time, it is up to each school and its head of authority to decide how the education shall be conducted according to applicable regulations. Thus, they decide whether Lucia celebration shall be carried out or not.
In this context, it can be mentioned that the government, as part of a comprehensive reform effort to improve the entire school system, is working to ensure that schools receive new curricula with a clearer knowledge orientation. Within the framework of that process, the government decided on 18 December 2025 on a mandate to Skolverket to prepare for a ten-year primary school with new curricula for the primary school, adapted primary school, the Sámi school, and the special school (U2025/02427). The mandate includes, among other things, that Skolverket shall, based on the Curriculum Inquiry's proposals in the report Knowledge for all – new curricula with a focus on teaching and learning (SOU 2025:19), develop proposals for new curricula, including syllabi, which the government shall then decide upon.
Markus Wiechel (SD)
Madam Speaker! Many thanks, Minister, for the answer to the interpellation!
It may seem a bit strange to discuss the Lucia celebration here in February – but better late than never. It was an important debate that was conducted in December, not least on social media. For that reason, I am happy to continue it now.
I intend to try to focus on the cultural significance of Lucia and how it functions as an inclusive force, not least for newcomers but also to strengthen the sense of community in general. Lucia is, in fact, an invaluable cultural heritage in Sweden. The curriculum for both preschool and primary school explicitly obligates the school to convey it. It is clearly emphasized that the education shall transfer and develop our common cultural heritage – values, traditions, and history – to the next generation.
Lucia is not just any tradition. It is unique. It belongs to the most characteristic Swedish traditions and has roots in both saint cults and winter solstice rituals. To dilute this limits much of what we carry with us from generation to generation. Especially in a time when our society is characterized by multiculturalism, I see it as a major problem if the school is allowed to opt out of our heritage. It should rather strengthen it.
Luciafirandet builds bridges, as it is said. It welcomes newcomers into Swedish society. In that way, it is an important integration measure. Lucia is a secularized and light-filled holiday that does not require any form of religious belief. That is positive in this context. It is really just about openness and community. It is music and joy.
Many newly arrived families have also shown their great appreciation when they have been welcomed into this community. I have seen it firsthand and have had conversations with many newly arrived people who have expressed exactly that. It is simply a warm and inclusive introduction to Swedish culture and a perfect way into society. Children sing together, and one shares lussekatter and pepparkakor, creating memories and binding together home and school.
To limit or replace this with vague winter celebrations or similar practices rather sends the signal that Swedish tradition is something that one wants to hide or tone down. I see that as a major problem. It is also precisely the opposite of what integration in society needs.
Traditional Lucia processions strengthen the community. That is the reason why I want to bring this up.
I may think that the Minister's answer is somewhat evasive and passive. The Minister ducks a bit from the responsibility and repeats the curriculum text but avoids taking a stand on the development we see, that more schools and preschools are restricting that type of celebration. That is what I see as somewhat of a problem.
We see that Lucia celebrations have been abolished or that there has been a desire to limit them with strange references to stress and the like; references are even made to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Against that background, I would like the Minister to elaborate on the answer.
Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question.
I also believe that many have some fond memory from a Lucia celebration, perhaps when one went to school or went caroling at some elderly care home. Perhaps one has also seen preschool children in their little gingerbread costumes trying to keep the beat. This is an important part of the Swedish cultural heritage.
Cultural heritage and traditions are part of the school's mission but must always be conveyed within the framework of the requirements of the Education Act on non-confessional education and teaching.
It is naturally unfortunate if schools completely forgo traditions and community-building activities due to teacher shortages, lack of time, or other obstacles. In order for the activities in the school to maintain high quality, it is of great importance that more people want to work within preschool and school, for example as music teachers. Likewise, it is important that the teachers who currently work in the school enjoy their work and want to continue in their profession so that it is not opted out of because one feels stress or a lack of time.
School is and will remain one of the government's primary priorities. The government is working with many and extensive measures to improve the Swedish school system and increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession. Among other things, the government has decided on a new curriculum, which I mentioned in the interpellation response, which shall make it clearer what should be learned and when, as well as support teachers in their assignments. We are introducing a new grading system, increased safety and study environment, a new support system, regulated time for the teaching assignment, and increased quality of teacher education.
We do all this precisely so that the school can be that glue that holds society together – a school where all children get the same opportunities and no one is left behind, and where one takes away a baggage that is important both for continued education and as a guide in life.
Markus Wiechel (SD)
Madam Speaker! I just want to clarify that I think the Minister also does a great deal of good in this area. Still, I am somewhat missing what the interpellation is about, namely that this important element in Swedish school can disappear.
I do not usually discuss school policy, I would like to add, so it is interesting to jump in a bit in that debate.
What it is about is that this type of event is important for everyone. As I mentioned earlier, traditional Lucia processions strengthen the community in a divided society. In a time of isolation and fragmentation, they offer a common point of light that strengthens both families and individuals.
The Minister said it was concerning – I don't remember the exact wording – if certain schools were to completely remove the Lucia celebration. Yes, it is terrible if that is the case, but it is also bad when one restricts it, for example by barring parents or just having a marginalized version of the experience.
Children's development is benefited. They are not harmed by traditional celebrations. Practicing songs, dressing up, performing before an audience, and sharing joy builds self-confidence. It trains language, cooperation, aesthetic expression, and so on – all in line with the curriculum's goals and with the government's so-called cultural canon.
Most children love Lucia. It creates lifelong positive memories, which the minister also touched upon. The arguments we have heard in the debate concerning stress – or even the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as I mentioned earlier – are rather excuses. The evidence instead shows that children benefit from meaningful expectation-creating activities. One should not be protected from that type of activity, on the contrary. Then when are we to be protected from any stress resulting from very important elements in school?
I think the government needs to take responsibility. Local decisions must not erode a national cultural heritage. The school is not a sanctuary for arbitrary decisions that conflict with the spirit of the curriculum, which I believe they do in some cases. If more and more preschools and schools restrict Lucia – having internal celebrations instead of open ones, closing doors to parents, having winter celebrations instead, and so on – we risk a national erosion of traditions, which I think would be unfortunate.
The government, which is actually investing in better conditions for schools, should therefore clearly signal that cultural heritage such as Lucia should be protected and strengthened, not left to heads of schools who choose to opt out of them.
The Minister was also touching on this regarding personal experience. I myself have many personal experiences. As a child, it was fun and exciting to stand on stage. One felt joy after performing for one's parents. As a father to my son, I see the same thing. When he gets to perform – admittedly in different other contexts – he feels so good from it. It is a fine element in the school environment.
I also experienced this as a Swede living abroad when I lived in the USA. That being welcomed into a community, in that case a community that an American culture brought with it, was something positive, not negative.
Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)
Madam Speaker! Initially, I just want to say that I am glad that more people want to debate the school, so welcome into the school debate!
As I mentioned, it is the school's principal and the school owners who decide how the education and teaching shall be designed and conducted in accordance with the regulations that we establish. This also applies to traditions at the school, for example, the Lucia celebration.
In the current situation, there are no plans to change this through regulations at the national level. I would, however, like to point out to the members that we are making huge changes to Swedish schools, not least regarding curricula and course plans, which will be crucial for achieving greater equivalence and thus also justice in our schools.
I agree with the member that school is the key to integration. It has been crucial for this government to clearly demonstrate that they go hand in hand. If we succeed well with the students in school and do not leave anyone behind, we will also succeed with integration so that children do not end up in exclusion.
Then it is the different parts of the school that are crucial. It can involve the transmission of traditions or community-building activities, but a crucial part is also, of course, the learning, what happens in the classroom.
It cannot be escaped that the most decisive thing is that we get more people who want to become teachers and be involved in taking responsibility for the next generation who will take on Sweden. Then the reforms and changes we make will be decisive, not least when it comes to the teaching profession. It will also apply to, for example, music teachers.
Regulating the teaching mandate and improving the quality of teacher education will also provide support for both teachers and principals to not be stressed by such traditions and community-building activities, but rather embrace them and make time for them.
In conclusion, we must remember that it is actually possible to have Lucia celebrations in schools, which many schools do today as well. However, as we have said, we need to address the underlying problem. If one refrains from Lucia celebrations today due to lack of time, teacher shortages, or other obstacles, it is naturally unfortunate, and it is this underlying problem that we need to handle.
Markus Wiechel (SD)
Madam Speaker! I would like to once again thank you for the answer to my interpellation and for the Minister's commitment.
The Minister has not presented any concrete measures but has only referred to future curriculum work. On several occasions, she has mentioned the assignment to Skolverket regarding new curricula, but that is actually irrelevant to the questions about Lucia here and now. Of course, it is possible to celebrate Lucia. The problem is not that some schools choose to take advantage of that opportunity, but rather the problem is those schools that choose not to take advantage of that opportunity. Given the Minister's area of responsibility, integration and education, there are few other topics as appropriate for the Minister as just Lucia, which concerns both education and integration.
I would like to see a greater commitment to elevating Lucia specifically as a fine bridge-builder for newcomers and to emphasize that Lucia is a missed opportunity to strengthen the work in a simple way; to introduce Lucia in schools.
Madam Speaker! Can we expect any action from the government or the minister to strengthen just this type of celebration in school or not?
Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)
Madam Speaker! It is pleasing that we agree that cultural heritage and tradition are an important part of the school's mission. Even though I can understand that one may feel frustration, the ongoing work I have mentioned regarding the curricula for primary school and corresponding school forms is crucial. It will become much clearer in these curricula what is to be learned. It will also become clearer what students are to learn and in which subjects. Whether it will affect what students, for example, are to learn in music that can be linked to the Lucia celebration is too early to say. Right now, the work is underway to develop syllabi based on the curricula the government has decided.
I am pleased that we are now ensuring that the mission, which will be crucial for integration in all our schools, is strengthened. Today, there is nothing that says one cannot carry out a Lucia celebration in schools. I think we should address the underlying problem if schools choose to opt out of the Lucia celebration due to a lack of time or because there are not enough teachers. Even if it may feel frustrating that it does not go faster to change the curricula so that they have a better focus on the students' knowledge development, it will take time to get more people to choose the teaching profession and get more to stay in the profession.
We are doing what is necessary now so that, hopefully, we will not have to have this debate in the future.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.