Light of Peace in Greenland

The so-called “Light of Peace” is in Greenland for the first time.

It arrived Dec. 7 after travelling more than 7,000 kilometers from Bethlehem.

The Light of Peace had already travelled through Denmark. From there, the Royal Arctic Line sailed it across North Atlantic to Greenland inside a kerosene lamp.

The Light of Peace reflects a tradition similar to the Olympic flame, which carries the spirit of the Olympic Games wherever it goes.

In this case, the light is Bethlehem, and it travels to all corners of the world at Christmas time, carrying its message of peace.

The Light of Peace lit the candles held during Nuuk’s Saint Lucia Procession on Dec. 13.

This Scandinavian tradition commemorates the martyrdom of Saint Lucia. Children walk in procession through schools, homes and other institutions singing ‘Saint Lucia,” holding lit candles in their hands. The leader of the procession wears a crown with four candles.

A Greenlandic security company is keeping watch over the light, to keep the flame burning until it travels again.