Södertälje, Sweden -- Despite decades of migration by Assyrians from Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia) to Europe, young members of the community continue to hold firmly to the customs and traditions passed down by their ancestors.

In 2025, the marriage rate in the Swedish city of Södertälje increased, as many young Assyrians chose to marry in their early twenties.

Jessica Varli, a young Assyrian woman, told STV Nyheter that she hopes to uphold her Christian faith and preserve the customs of her community in order to be a true wife before God and people. Speaking about wedding expenses, Varli said:

"In our culture, people don't bring material gifts to the couple. Everyone gives money. In the end, you receive back much of what you spent."

This tradition, common across Middle Eastern communities, including the Assyrian community, functions as an internal support system, easing the financial burden of weddings and transforming the event from a costly obligation into a long-term social investment.

Varli is far from the only woman in her twenties choosing marriage. Many in Södertälje are now prioritizing marriage, stability, and starting families. The percentage of married residents aged 20--29 in Södertälje has reached 14%, the highest rate in all of Sweden.

Although wedding costs today are far higher than in earlier generations, the Assyrian community, and Middle Eastern communities more generally, continue to view marriage as an essential part of life and the natural culmination of a successful love story.

It is worth noting that the Assyrian population in Södertälje is large and tightly knit. Mass migration began in the 1970s from Tur Abdin, followed by arrivals from Syria and Iraq in the 1980s and 1990s. The first groups arrived in Sweden in 1967 through a resettlement program.

Today, Södertälje is widely regarded as the capital of the Assyrian diaspora. The community has established strong social, cultural, and religious institutions, founded football clubs such as Assyriska and Syrianska, launched television channels, and -- most importantly -- preserved the Assyrian language and traditions, reflecting the vitality and resilience of this community in Sweden.