Pitt Nationality room holiday tours remain virtual this year

The annual Holiday Open House in the historic Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh has been a holiday tradition for three decades.

But for the second year since the start of the pandemic, that tradition is limited to virtual tours, meaning the rooms can’t even be decorated.

Trying to put a positive spin on the limitations, new Nationality Rooms director Kati Csoman said the virtual format will still allow a fun and educational experience.

“The virtual event will allow visitors to experience more cultural and artistic performances, learn about holiday traditions and food customs, and to listen and watch wonderful children’s stories from around the world,” she said.

The tours will be led by members of Quo Vadis, a student group formed in 1944 to educate the public about the rooms and their features.

A Greek Christmas Trivia Weekend, a performance by the Scottish Balmoral Pipes and Drums Band, and a lesson on making Romanian Sorcovas are also on the agenda.

A Sorcova consists of a stick or twig decorated with different colored artificial flowers. Children use them to playfully tap their parents or acquaintances on their backs on New Year’s morning to wish them, in special verses, good health and good luck.

The festivities and events continue through Dec. 12.

Established in 1926, Pitt’s 31 Nationality Rooms pay tribute to the cultural groups that settled in Allegheny County. They are located on the first and third floors of Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning and are used as functioning classrooms.