Wizards Day at Hogwarts -- The Encaenia Ceremony

It was Wizards Day at  Oxford today and Aung San Suu Kyi was the chief wizard.  She finally received her honorary degree from Oxford University at todays Encaenia ceremony.

Suu Kyi, making her first visits outside of her native country in 24 years, was awarded an honorary doctorate in civil law in 1993 but was unable to collect it until today, due to being under house arrest in Myanmar. She studied philosophy, politics and economics at St. Hugh's College in Oxford between 1964 and 1967. After a time working in New York and Bhutan, she lived in Oxford for many years with her late husband, the Tibet scholar Michael Aris, and their sons Alexander and Kim.  Yesterday she celebrated her 67th birthday.

Encaenia is the ceremony at which the University of Oxford awards honorary degrees to distinguished men and women and commemorates its benefactors. It is held annually on the Wednesday of ninth week during Trinity Term.On the morning of the ceremony, the Heads of Colleges, university dignitaries and honored guests assemble, in full academic dress, in one of the colleges, where they enjoy Lord Crewe's benefaction of peaches, strawberries and champagne. They then walk through the streets in procession to the Sheldonian Theatre on Broad Street.

The University dignitaries enter the theatre in procession; those who are to receive honorary degrees wait in the Divinity School where they sign their names in the Honorary Degrees Book. They are then escorted into the theatre. Once the Chancellor has opened the proceedings, each honorand is introduced by the Public Orator with a speech in Latin and admitted to his or her new degree by the Chancellor. The Orator then delivers the Creweian Oration on the events of the past year and in commemoration of the University's benefactors.

As with so many traditions in Oxford, the Encaenia ceremony is beloved and hundreds lined the streets to get a glimpse of the procession.  The crowds roared with Aung San Suu Kyi walked by.  She graciously stopped to shake hands with Oxford students, much to the dismay of security.  She is stunningly beautiful!

Professors heading to the Encaenia

The procession 

The University Chancellor has the gold trimmed gown

Walking toward the Sheldonian

Past the Bodleian Library 

Aung San Suu Kyi carrying the poppies

And entering the main gate at the Bodleian