European Night – How to survive :)

From Finland to Malta, from Portugal to Azerbaijan within this area you can spend four unforgettable weeks of your summer. And no matter what destination or topic you chose for your summer university (SU) you can look forward to something that is called European night, which is a part of every event organized by AEGEE.

If you are about to experience your first SU you need to prepare well for your first European night, which can be pretty challenging the first time. But don’t worry we have prepared a bunch of tips for you that will help you not only to survive the night but also enjoy it as much as possible!

So what is European night?

Being already said, European night is part of every SU with the goal of introducing traditional drinks and foods of all participants attending the event. You will have approximately five minutes to introduce to the others the typical Czech liquors and snacks. You can present the drink itself as well as some interesting mixture. Regarding the food, you can bring some salty snacks (crisps, salami, cheese, etc.) as well as sweets (cookies, candies, etc.). And don’t forget to bring a flag and some traditional outfit if you have own one. 😉

Some SU organizers also prefer to connect drinking and eating with some cultural experience. In that case, you would be asked to perform some national dance, or sing a song or somehow show the others something form your culture. And if you don’t feel like performing anything, there is always a possibility of YouTube. 🙂

Here is one presentation made from AEGEE-Praha you can use: http://prezi.com/ttxjnzklmogl/country-presentatuon-the-czech-republic-by-aegee-praha/

Some tips for European night

Reading these lines you are probably starting to understand that within a short period of time you will taste various kinds of alcohol and foods, which can turn into a disaster. Therefore, read some advice on how to survive until midnight:

  • Make sure you eat properly before drinking. You should eat some greasy stuff and avoid candies.
  • Take breaks in between the drinks, drink a cup of water after each drink.
  • Start with milder drinks, continue with stronger ones.
  • Don’t force yourself into anything! If you don’t like the drink, don’t worry to throw it away.
  • Avoid everything that is burning (absinth, B52 etc.).
  • Don’t get too excited at the beginning, save your powers for the whole night.

So do you already what to bring with you for European night? Here are some tips for Czech classics:

Czech national alcoholic and nonalcoholic bevareges

  • Becherovka – traditional Czech herb liquor from Karlovy Vary, there is also a milder Lemond flavour, we can drink with tonic (=Beton), or Fernet (=Bavorák) or we can add it to hot wine
  • Fernet – traditional bitter Fernet, milder option is Citrus and Fernet Stock Z-Generation with mango and ginger flavour, Fernet Citrus + apple juice + cinnamon (=Schtrudl)
  • Czech beer – a cna of Pilsner Urquell or some other minor Czech brewery (bernard, Cerna hora apod)
  • Pepermint – bright green liquir also known as Mouthwash
  • Tuzemak – Czech “rum” that is made of potatoes, we can add it to everything especially to tee, hot water (=Grog), coffee (=Wolf breath), vinegar (=wire wool), hot milk (=Bear milk), hot wine (Captain´s Silver Grog), Griotte (=Devil)
  • Kofola – there are not that many Czech who would ever refuse a cold tap Kofola wiht ice and a slice of lemon whereas the foreigners find Kofola somewhat disgusting and not a good fake of Coca-Cola

Interesting mixes

  • Mushroom – wine with coke/Kofola
  • Traffic light – Peprmint + egg liquor + Griotte
  • Magic eye – shot of Peprmint thrown into a a glass of beer

Some snacks

  • pickled cheese
  • salty sticks
  • Olomoucke tvaruzky (special Czech cheese)
  • chips

We hope that now you know at least a little bit what to expect from European night that will take place during your SU. This unforgettable experience will for sure be one of your best nights during the event, so keep in mind the rules and enjoy it! Na zdraví!

EU night

 

Czech