Zubair Qureshi
Like every year, this year too, Ambassador of Sweden Henrik Persson hosted end of the year reception and ‘Lucia Celebration’ on Tuesday at the Swedish residence.
However, unlike last year, it was a bigger and more cheerful event as one could see an international choir performing at the lawn of the Ambassador’s residence and the number of the children participating was also bigger than the last year.
Welcoming the guests, the Swedish ambassador said the year was ending at a time when Ukraine is facing aggression and there is a humanitarian crisis in the country.
Likewise, climate threat is looming and a number of challenges are confronting tbe world at large, he said giving an obvious reference to floods that devastated Pakistan’s Sindh , Balochistan and KP provinces in August and September this year. Sweden supports Pakistan in tackling climate threat and both countries are engaged in a number of socio-economic uplift projects, he said.
Ambassador Henrik welcomed the guests saying in Scandinavia, these were the ‘darkest’ and the coldest days as scarcely there was light during the daytime. Amidst this darkness, St Lucia brings us light, joy and hope, he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the guests for accepting the invitation and hoped they would appreciate it. December 13, also called Saint’s Lucy Day or the Feast of St. Lucy is one of the darkest and shortest days dedicated to 4th Century virgin martyr in Italy.
But as we see there is light at the end of the tunnel, Lucia is celebrated across Sweden and other parts of Europe as day of the feast and choirs perform on the occasion. The guests not only enjoyed themselves the performance of the children singing hymns in white clothes, they also chanced to know one another.
