Nobel Banquet
The Nobel Banquet (Swedish: Nobelfesten) is an annual banquet held on 10 December in the Blue Hall of Stockholm City Hall, after the Nobel Prize ceremony.[1][2] At the banquet, for which a formal dress code exists, a multi-course dinner is served and entertainment provided.[3] After the dinner, a dance is held in the Golden Hall.[4] The event is broadcast live on Sveriges Television and Sveriges Radio, and abroad with generally high ratings.[5]
Nobel Banquet Nobelfesten | |
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2005 Nobel Banquet | |
Genre | Banquet |
Date(s) | 10 December |
Frequency | Annual |
Venue | Blue Hall, Stockholm City Hall |
Location(s) | Stockholm, Sweden |
Country | Sweden |
Inaugurated | 1901 |
History
The first banquet, for 113 male guests, was held in 1901[6] and until 1923 it was known as the Nobel Dinner (Swedish: Nobelmiddagen).[7] Until 1930 the banquet was held in Vinterträdgården at Stockholm's Grand Hôtel Royal,[8] and it has also been held in the Golden Hall of the Swedish Academy (Svenska Akademien).[9]
The banquet hosts 1,300 guests (including the Swedish Royal Family) and 200 students. Its host, the chair of the Nobel Foundation, is always seated at the royal table.[4]
During the dinner (usually four hours long) each Nobel Prize recipient makes a speech, often lighthearted in character.[7] There are two ceremonial toasts: the Loyal toast to the Swedish monarch and the other, made by the monarch, in memory of Alfred Nobel.[10] The speeches and toasts are presented by the banquet's toastmaster, traditionally a Swedish student who holds the job for four years.[11][12]
Service during the banquet is provided by waiting staff, chefs, and others who are trained for several weeks.[9] Since the 1970s, flowers for the banquet have been provided by the Italian city of Sanremo (where Nobel lived during his final years).[13] They are grown in the province of Imperia in the Liguria region of Italy.[14]
In late July 2020, it was revealed that the banquet would be cancelled for that year due to the corona pandemic.[15]
Dress code
The dinner is a formal affair, and the dress code is white tie, and orders and decorations should be worn.[16][17]
See also
References
- "Nobelfesten - Festen". Stockholm.se. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
- "Watch the Nobel Prize Banquet Live from Stockholm". Time. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- "Six things to know about Sweden's poshest dinner". The Local. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- "Nobel Banquet: A sumptuous serve for laureates and royals - DW - 08.12.2017". DW.COM. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- "Taffeln". Royal Court. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- "Award ceremonies". Archived from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- "Nobelfesten". Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- Levinovitz, Agneta Wallin, 2011, pagr 127
- "The Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies and Banquets". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- "The Nobel Banquet" (PDF). 26 August 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- "SSCO och Nobelstiftelsen söker ny toastmaster till Nobel". Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- "Ingenjörens uppdrag: Vara Nobelfestens toastmaster - Ingenjörskarriär". ssco.se. 16 December 2015. Archived from the original on 16 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- "Första nobelmiddagen för Sveriges nye prins". Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- "Besök Nobels blommor". Dagens Nyheter. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- "Pandemic sees Nobel banquet cancelled for first time since 1956 - DN". Reuters. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- "Nothing less than perfection is on the menu for the Nobel banquet". 10 December 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2019 – via Reuters.
- "10 Things You Might Not Know About the Nobel Prize". mentalfloss.com. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
External links
Media related to Nobel banquet at Wikimedia Commons