St. Nicholas visited our international students

  • Veronika Novotná
  • 12.12.2022
After two "covid" years, the International Relations Office of the faculty organized the traditional St. Nicholas Day for international students.

Author: Veronika Novotná

This year, St. Nicholas with a devil and an angel visited our faculty on 6 December. But we don't blame him for coming late, he must have had a lot on his list after those two years of rest! Our international students were also eagerly waiting to meet with St. Nicholas in person. This year, the Buddy Program members contributed a lot to the organization of this traditional event, for which we owe them a big Thank You! They prepared an entertaining program for our students, helped with the preparation of Christmas decorations, refreshments and St. Nicholas packages. The reward for the whole realization team was the happy faces of all the students present.

Samar, a first-year student of the Economics and Management Master’s degree programme, will celebrate Christmas in Czechia for the first time. Samar was born in Cairo, where she also received her Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University. How did she like the St. Nicholas party and what does Christmas in Egypt look like?

Samar: “It was a heartwarming celebration with amazing food and lovely company. I learned a lot about the Czech traditions in celebration. In Egypt, things are a bit different. Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on 7 January. The Holy Nativity Fast precedes Christmas celebration for more than a month starting 25 November when everyone is following a strict vegan diet. And on Christmas Day, while the turkey is the main dish, they also break the long fast with many delicious dishes including the Egyptian traditional fatteh (an indulgent, rice, bread, and meat dish) and wara’ einab (stuffed vine leaves).  While some people give gifts, the majority would give money to the younger family members. Family and friends gather in their homes for a fun long day together with many games and conversations. People bring along gifts such as sweet Kahk (traditional biscuits stuffed mostly with dates paste). A Christmas morning in Egypt usually means a cup of tea and a plate of Kahk El Eid.”