Holidays

On 16 December, the Swedish language students took an active part in the presentation of the issue of the magazine Viasiolka dedicated to Sweden.

Swedish language students celebrated Lucia Day. The Lucia procession was fantastic!

On the 11th of June, the Swedish Centre organized a big Midsummer celebration at the picturesque landscape of the Folk Architecture Museum in Strochitsa.

Midsommar

On the 13th of June, a group of Swedish language students and their teacher (totally about fifty persons) celebrated Midsummer Day at the Museum of Folk Traditions and Architecture.

On the 14th of June - one week earlier than in Sweden! - the Centre for Swedish Studies celebrated Midsummer Day in Minsk. Over 40 Swedish language students and a dozen Swedes, temporarily or permanently living in Belarus, came to the Museum for Folk Architecture in Strochitsa to have a party and celebrate this pagan Swedish tradition.

On the 16th of June, over 50 Swedish language students come to the Museum for Folk Architecture in Strochitsa to celebrate the pagan Swedish tradition, Midsummer Day. The students, together with their teachers and those Swedes, who happened to be in Minsk at the moment, performed Swedish ring dance songs and played traditional and modern Swedish games round the May Pole.

It was already for the fourth time the students, studying Swedish language in Minsk, gathered together with their teachers to celebrate S:t Lucia Day.

On the 17th of June, Saturday, over sixty Swedish language students gathered together at the Museum for Folk Architecture to celebrate Midsummer Day.

The Office in Minsk of Swedish Embassy in Moscow invited all the students learning Swedish language at universities in Minsk to celebrate St Lucia Day together.

On the 18th of June, the staff of the Centre for Swedish Studies with the support of the Office in Minsk of Swedish Embassy in Moscow organized the celebration of the traditional Swedish holiday - Midsummer. About 45 students learning Swedish language in Minsk as well as their teachers participated in the celebration, which took place at the Belarusian State Museum of Folk Architecture in Strochytsy. Among our guests were members of the historical reconstruction club "Vitland" who demonstrated Viking fighting techniques.

About 150 university students in Swedish languge and their teachers took part in the celebration of St Lucia Day. The party was hold at the House of Friendship on 10th of December.

For the first time one of the most typical Swedish holidays - Midsummer Day - was celebrated in Belarus.

The day of Saint Lucia in Sweden is the one that one can name for a typical and unique Swedish tradition. Here you can find interesting information regarding the origins of this celebration. The report about the celebration of Lucia's day in Minsk comes soon!

On the 10th of November, the day before St. Martin’s Day, companies of Swedes gather together in different places, often in restaurants, to taste the attribute of this holiday — a goose. In this period geese are the fattest. The menu includes so-called "black soup", which is made of goose- or pig blood, then a roasted goose is served, and for dessert – an apple pie or a peculiar one-meter high cake. On St. Martin’s Day (the 11th of November) all the Swedes, whose names are Martin or Mårten, celebrate their name day. Our Scandinavian Center was not an exception. Trying to keep to certain traditions, we celebrated the name day of Mårten Frankby — our Swedish teacher. The party was nice and funny. Congratulations with your name day, Mårten!!!