Since 2001, 26 September was marked as the European Day of Languages, celebrating the continent’s rich variety of languages. In Cairo, embassies and cultural institutes representing 11 European countries joined forces to celebrate the day at the Instituto Cervantes and offer the public an opportunity to experience the linguistic and cultural diversity of the European continent first-hand.
Participants engaged in a series of educational and interactive activities designed to showcase the advantages of multilingualism for both personal and professional development. During the afternoon program, the “cultural station” of the Embassy of Switzerland in Egypt introduced visitors to the multilingual nature of the country. During a short quiz, participants allocated words from one of Switzerland’s four national languages (German, French, Italian, and Rumansh) to the correct language region. To top it off, visitors could enjoy some traditional Swiss raclette.
The event was held under the auspices of EUNIC Egypt (European Union National Institutes for Culture). Together with the Embassy of Switzerland in Egypt, it was co-organized by the Instituto Cervantes, Czech Centres and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Cairo, Leitorado do Camões, Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua – Cairo, Embassy of Greece and Greek Cultural Centre, Goethe-Institut Kairo, Embassy of France in Egypt, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Cairo, Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Cairo, Embassy of Sweden in Cairo, Embassy of Ukraine in Cairo.
