Vijayawada, November: Tis the season of year end joy and to welcome the warmth of Christmas, Novotel Vijayawada Varun celebrated the traditional cake mixing ceremony at their iconic terrace venue. Since the hotel’s opening, it has been the guests first choice for celebrations in the city and this much-loved event was no exception.

Executive Chef Suraj Kumar Sahoo along with his team, the kids from Apple Foundation, special invitees and guests of the hotel took part in this festive ceremony with renewed excitement, pomp and cheer. The event at this scenic location set in motion with guests donning aprons and gloves, mixing the merry mixture of candied fruits, assorted nuts and alcohol varieties was a sight to behold. The evening showcased delectable hi-tea preparations and refreshing drinks that kept the guests spirits high throughout the ceremony.

On this occasion of Cake mixing ceremony, Abhishek Pani, Hotel Manager, Novotel Vijayawada Varun expressed, “The community binding activity of cake mixing where we all get together to celebrate good tidings has always been a personal favourite event. This year, we had the pleasure of enjoying this joyous ceremony with the orphans from Apple Foundation and it was a delightful time to witness the festive revelry’.

The age-old tradition of cake mixing, which is a celebration of new beginnings and the start of Christmas festivities symbolises abundance and blessings for the harvest season. The preps for this ceremony usually begin months in advance and is worth the wait every time as it merrily marks the beginning of the Christmas celebrations and restores the belief that it would bring another abundant year.

Novotel Vijayawada Varun’s cake-mixing ceremony this year was a wholesome experience filled with joy, laughter and unforgettable memories. The efforts taken by the hotel staff and management made it a memorable one for all the attendees.

Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla hosted the timeliness traditional of Cake Mixing Ceremony

Pradipt Sinha, Director of Food and Beverage kick started the spectacular show by narrating fables and history around the Cake Mixing ceremony. He informed that the activity marks the arrival of harvest season and onset of Christmas festivities.

“In olden times, a lot of dry fruits and nuts were harvested during the autumn season and were used in the preparation of traditional Christmas fruit cakes. They used to store the mix for the coming year with a hope of another fulfilling and abundant year. Later, this ceremony became a family affair where everyone got together and soaked the harvested fruits in wine or rum which are further dried and stored.” he shared.

Now it was time for the most awaited moment of evening – The Cake Mixing ceremony. Amidst the refreshing autumn breeze, the poolside was decked with twinkling lights and shining props, ushering the spirit of festivities. However, the star of the show was the mesmerizing assortment of dry fruits such as cashews, prunes, pistachios, almonds, figs, apricots, raisins, nuts, black current etc. in a boat shaped cauldron.

The hotel patrons and team members rolled on their sleeves and wore the aprons to participate in a hearty

mixing of the dry fruits with spices and spirits. The live music, varieties of Christmas bakes, Sangrias and Mulled Wine added to the charm of the ceremony. Post the ceremony, the mixture was put into airtight container so that it soaks up the spirits and spices.

The same mix would be used by the Chefs to bake array

of goodies such as Plum Pudding, Plum Cake Dandee cake, Mince pie, Christollen, Christmas cookies which will be available at French Heart - patisserie of the hotel. Guests will also have option to customize delectable Christmas hampers for gifting and indulgence.

Shuvendu Banerjee, General Manager, Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla said, “Although the cake mixing ceremony is a warm-up to the festive holiday season, it

has far more significant in the current times. The underlying essence of the ceremony is also a reminder of the cross-cultural impact of celebrations. The festivities come wrapped with hopes and revival for a happier tomorrow.”

The event also marked the announcement of the ‘Grills by the Pool’ experience at the hotel with the invitees being the first ones to taste the new menu. With the nip in the air, the ‘grilled-to perfection’ dishes paired with invigorating cocktails made for the perfect after-party.