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Have you ever wondered why images from the halwa ceremony flood the internet a few days before the budget announcement? Do you know what the ritual is all about? Ahead of the Union Budget 2025 announcement on February 1, 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam and other members of the ministry have culminated the ritual of making the halwa and consuming it.
It is closely associated with tasting dahi-cheeni (sweetened curd) before heading for exams or important meetings/ interviews. Eating something sweet before a crucial event is considered to bring good luck, and there is nothing bigger than the announcement of the Union Budget before the beginning of the financial year 2025-26.
Image Credit: FinMinIndia/X
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What is The Halwa Ceremony?
Every year, the Finance Ministry of India follows a ritual of making the halwa in the ministry’s designated kitchen. It is prepared at least 9-10 days prior to the budget announcement. This ceremony marks the commencement of the printing of the Union Budget.
This year, the ceremony was performed on Friday, January 24, 2024, to mark the lock-in period. A large iron kadhai is used to prepare this halwa, usually made with semolina, and distributed among members of the ministry. The finance minister stirred the ingredients as a part of the ritual.
Significance Of Halwa Ceremony
Once the ritual is performed, all the officials involved in the budget are prohibited from leaving the ministry premises until the budget is presented in the Parliament. They are cut off from their families as well. In case a loved one wants to reach out to a member of the ministry, they have to leave a message on a specific number because direct communication is also prohibited to prevent the leak of information.
The printing begins in the North Block’s basement (like it has been since 1980). On January 31, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, the two houses of the Indian Parliament.
The country awaits the Annual Financial Statement after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected for the third time in the 2024 general elections. It will provide citizens with a financial blueprint of where the funds will be invested, new tax policies that will come into play, and amendments (if any) to an existing schedule.
