Studying abroad may sound like the ultimate dream. However, it also has a downside, such as missing out on national celebrations back home. This was an experience I have been through while studying in Sheffield and missing out on one of my favorite celebrations, Qatar National Day.
Back home on that day, a lot of exciting things happen. It all starts early morning, where hundreds of policemen, army soldiers, and rescue staff march through a huge parade along our famous corniche.
When you look at the sky, you will see soldiers jumping from helicopters with their parachutes. And when you look towards the sea, you will notice other soldiers crossing the waves with their jet skis. Furthermore, you can hear national songs coming out from the speakers on the streets, and you can see many people attending the show waving the Qatari flags and cheering. What makes this event even more special is when the Qatari Amir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, walks along the crowds to greet everyone and watch that impressive show. The parade is just one of many other forms of celebrations in Qatar. People at their home dress up with the colors of the Qatari flag, visit each other and celebrate with their families in their own way. This inspired us to bring our own version of this lovely celebration to our university.
In order to run such an event, we needed more students to help out with the preparation and running of the event. We had to form a small team of colleagues and friends from different countries, including Oman, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Myanmar, and Norway. In less than a month, we managed to organize the event, from preparing the budgets to ordering the decorations and getting them shipped from Qatar. Then, we got together one day before the event to set up the place and divide tasks and roles on the event day.
On Monday, the 16th of December 2019, our dream came true after we celebrated Qatar’s National Day at the University of Sheffield’s Student union. We aimed to showcase our Qatari culture, traditions, and values to the international students and even staff members visiting our site. We conducted a booth style celebration to be able to offer our visitors an extraordinary experience. Firstly, as visitors entered, they were greeted at the hospitality station, where Qatari coffee, dates and Harda (Tahini), Halwa (traditional dessert) and rose water fragrance that was offered to our guests as a welcoming gesture.
Next, there was a Qatari knowledge booth, which consisted of an interactive board that carried various national information such as Qatar’s currency, national animal and plant. Additionally, there was a wood map of Qatar, made by a talented team member, alongside portraits and pictures that described Qatar’s evolution through the years from Qataris working as pearl divers and shipbuilders at sea to the opening of the new metro station. Additionally, we hung some tractional clothes such as the men’s Thob, Abaya, Ghitra and Thob Alnashel.
Similarly, we had another board nearby solely dedicated to Qatar’s achievements in Sports, such as Qatar’s recent win at the Asian Cup, alongside featuring pictures of Qatari athletes who broke world records like Mutaz Barshim. Additionally, we highlighted Qatar's preparation process to host the FIFA world cup in 2022, alongside highlighting the role of Mr Hassan Althawadi, the CEO of Qatar's 2022 Bid Committee, who is also a Law graduate from the University of Sheffield. Fortunately, showcasing the achievements of Mr Hassan has worked as an inspiration for the university students when learning about a fellow graduate who accomplished international achievements.
Following the sports achievements corner, we hosted a small Henna booth to celebrate our national tradition of wearing Henna during celebrations. Our visitors enjoyed the beautiful Henna patterns designed by one of our talented team members as a form of celebration brought by our ancestors. After that, there was a traditional food and drinks corner. Where we made sure to showcase the generosity and hospitality of Qataris through serving various national dishes and drinks. We prepared various hot drinks that included a traditional tea infused with rose water and saffron, Karak tea infused with saffron and Qatari spices such as cloves and cardamom alongside a cold drink called "Vimto", which is served usually during the holy month Ramadan with ice.
On the other hand, the food menu featured several dishes that included one of our nostalgic school snacks, Chips Omani and cheese wraps, alongside Balaleet, which is sweet noodles and savoury eggs topped with saffron and cardamom, and EL-Luqaimat, which is a fried dough topped with dates syrup.
After enjoying the traditional dishes and drinks, our visitors approached the gift shop, which had many souvenirs brought from Qatar. Those souvenirs included Qatari themed pens, pencils, pins and even bracelets. Additionally, we made sure to have a generous amount of the famous Qatari “Pafiki” chips. Finally, to create a memory of this amazing day, we hung a huge poster where our visitors wrote about their experience.
At the end of this successful celebration, I realised that we can always celebrate Qatar’s national day by showcasing the culture, heritage and accomplishments of Qatar. After all, it was our way of celebrating and expressing our love for Qatar.
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