Pitt Decorates Nationality Rooms for Holidays

The Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning will be festooned for the holidays starting this weekend.

The decorations give a unique twist to the holiday each of the Nationality Rooms celebrates, whether that’s Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, or the Chinese New Year. Nationality Rooms Director Maxine Bruhns says for example, the French Room features a large Nativity scene with authentic figurines from Provence, and the English Room has a Yule log.

Bruhns says people can attend a free open house on December 5.

“At noontime, we start with a whole bunch of Taiko drumming, and then the whole first floor is full of good food and drink, and every 15 minutes there is a new set of performers,” says Bruhns. “We’re going to have Greek dancers, Irish dancers, and I think Serbs this year, and Filipinos, so come on over.”

For a small fee, visitors can listen to taped tours of the rooms every weekend until Christmas. Guided tours are available only for large groups until Christmas; after that they’re available from the 27th to the 31st.