We bring you Fasnacht, Valentine’s day DIYs, recipes, celebration ideas, art, and in our special collection of February stories.
Valentine’s Day Ideas – From the romantic to the adventurous and everything in between!
Valentine’s day is right around the corner, and whether you are living the single life or have found ‘the one’, whether you are a couple or a family with kids, we have you covered! Take a leaf out of team Namaste Switzerland’s book – we share some of our ideas on how to make V-Day special. We have ideas from our own Valentine’s Day celebrations – there’s an idea for everyone in nearly every stage of life. We would love to hear your opinions as well!
Valentine’s Day Ideas – From the romantic to the adventurous and everything in between!
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a 3-course meal
Deepty remembers being fascinated by Valentine’s day as a teenager. After her marriage, she began celebrating this day in a very special way, and later after her children came along, the festival took on new meaning as a family celebration. The celebration may have changed over time, but one thing remained constant… the promise of a good meal on Valentine’s Day. Food has always been a passion for Deepty, and she loves to add a twist to her food and create something different. In preparation for Valentine’s Day, Deepty Mundhra shares her recipes – a three-course meal, made with ingredients available in most Swiss supermarkets.
Marguerite and Armand – Lost love
Love stories bring up that mushy and tingly feeling – sometimes a feeling tinted with good, old-fashioned romance. Sowgandhika Krishnan reviews the 2017 performance of Marguerite and Armand, brought online by The Royal Opera House London as a part of its lockdown time online shows. More from Sowgandhika Krishnan here:
My story of love in Switzerland
From performance to real life. Niti Deoliya shyly giggled when one of the Namaste Switzerland founding members probed if she’d like to share her experiences of searching for a life partner in Switzerland. She shares some of her experiences that earlier went unnoticed. On a lighter note, she says, “Who knows, maybe next Valentine’s Day, you will get to read a spicy ‘love story in Switzerland’ and not ‘story of love in Switzerland’!”
Nourish to flourish
This month, love is in the air. And along with that comes a sense of gratitude to be alive and doing well amidst a pandemic. This heartwarming thought helps us put all other things in perspective. And nourishment for a fit body and mind is key to wellness. Nourish bowls are fun to put together, ensure we eat a good variety of healthy foods, help with portion control, and are delicious. So much so that these bowls are getting to be a favorite at writer Chetana Parameswar ‘s home lately. She shows us how to make them:
Digitize your love of Art
Technology has changed and is rapidly and drastically changing our lives. This is especially true also of artists, who have been using an actual canvas, brush, and paint for many decades and are now switching to using a digital medium for many reasons – one being that of convenience. Their artwork is seldom displayed in galleries and now people can admire art by visiting the artist’s social media page and that too, free of cost. Samvidha tells us more:
Sharing is caring
Under the current circumstances and what the last year has put humanity through, the value of love, sharing, and caring has gained a new meaning. This Valentine’s month, we take our love one step beyond family and friends – towards caring and sharing, perhaps, as volunteers. Aradhna Sethi takes a look at ‘benevol Schweiz’ – a network of 17 specialist volunteer offices in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.
Celebrating Fasnacht – The Swiss Carnival
February is also a time when it rains confetti in Switzerland! ‘Fasnacht’ is a popular celebration that you cannot miss. We take you on a journey of the history of the Fasnacht and the highlights of the celebrations for 2020. A mix of joie de vivre, cacophonous music, and revelry, Fasnacht celebrations give you the license to be frivolous and carefree – if only for a few days! This year, the biggest celebration is set to happen in Basel between 7 to 9 March 2022. Shinta Simon tells you more:
Fasnachtschüechli
Fasnacht celebrations – “Güügenmusik“ bands, the creative floats, outlandish costumes, and “Tschäggättä” masks, the celebrations take place at different locations across Switzerland through the months of January to May. Chetana Parameswar shares a lip-smacking recipe of the ‘Fasnachtschüechli’ – the king of ‘Fasnacht’ snacks – along with images that make your mouth water for more. Her recipe is vegan this time.
Disclaimer: Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any financial, reputational, legal, misrepresentational or other obligation or liability which may arise from the content of this article.
