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At Krystal, Christmas was celebrated with carols, videos, and recitations

Students of the annual preparatory programmes from the Krystal centre prepared well for the Christmas gathering on 21 December. The Christmas atmosphere in the packed auditorium was celebrated with carol singing as well as a remake of the Christmas film Krampus.

"On behalf of the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies, I wish you good health, peace of mind, a happy journey home, and some time for studying," said the head of the Prague study centre, Petra Landergott Kalvínská, as she welcomed the students. "I look forward to seeing what you learned and prepared for us."

The projection started with a four-minute video of MS2 class, which summarized the first semester at Krystal and ended it with Christmas greetings. What happens if everyone leaves, leaving a friend behind at Krystal? HS2 class took inspiration from the popular film Home Alone and made a funny video called Alone at Krystal. The videos were interrupted by a live entry from MS1 class – the classic by Karel Gott, "Naše první Vánoce" (Our First Christmas). One could hardly find a bigger style change than the HS1 class video "Kesha na parkovišti" (Kesha in the car park). The author of the book Českej rap (Czech rap), Ladislav Zeman, said that: "either you listen to it, you are interested and then you understand it, or you are simply out." The character of Jakub from the HF4 class video is also out. Or, he is out in the clip "Dobrodružství Jakuba" (Jakub’s Adventures) until he learns Czech, because the possibility of communicating in a new language will change his world beyond recognition.

MS3 class students called their recitation of Ukrainian poems, which they translated into Czech, a cultural dialogue. The HF5 class presented an almost full-length remake of the Christmas film Krampus. The joint singing of the Czech classic carol "Nesem vám noviny" was a dignified end to the gathering and clear proof of the acquired knowledge of the Czech language.

Text: Petra Köppl

Photos: René Volfík