Bonding over culture
The celebrations, spread over a couple of months, act as a vehicle to showcase prowess of Swedish companies in India and to rejoice Swedish culture world-wide
Capital recently witnessed the celebration of Lucia – the annual candlelit procession and a traditional Swedish event – organised by Swedish Embassy. Lucia is the bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters and the candlelight procession is perhaps one of the most exotic-looking Swedish customs.
As Christmas nears its approach in Sweden, it is heralded in early December with a nation-wide day celebrating St Lucia.
Klas Molin, the Swedish Ambassador to India said, "Lucia, the annual candlelit procession, happens in the middle of our annual Nobel memorial programme. We are celebrating the twelfth anniversary of the Sweden-India Nobel Memorial week which is a manifestation of the strong bilateral relations between Sweden and India. The celebrations spread over a couple of months, act as a vehicle to showcase the prowess of Swedish companies in India"
The young handmaidens dressed in stately white gowns carry candles in their hands and the star boys carry stars on sticks. The glorious celebration is worth capturing and preserving.
Alongside singing galas, the Lucia celebrations also included feasting on sumptuous gingerbread cookies and sweet, saffron-flavored buns shaped like curled-up cats and with raisin eyes.
The highlight of the splendid food is that it was specially prepared by Swedish Nobel chef and was complemented with sipping Swedish glögg (mulled wine) or coffee.
The event was held as a part of as a part of Sweden India Nobel Memorial 2018. Instituted in the memory of Swedish innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist Alfred Nobel, Sweden India Nobel Memorial Program celebrates the contribution of both Swedish and Indian Nobel Laureates.
With the innovation as its theme, the Swedish Embassy has been showcasing numerous events to strengthen the Indo-Swedish relations and rejoice Swedish culture world-wide.
