With the semester coming to an end, many Seton Hall students are not only looking forward to the end of exam week, but also the celebration of Christmas as they prepare to go home for winter break. Students shared some things they do to get in the holiday spirit.
For many, Christmas is their favorite time of the year, and that is true for many students in the Seton Hall community. The festive spirit that the Christmas season brings often distracts students from the stress of finals week. The students also say the University helps usher in the spirit of Christmas on campus, specifically with the annual Christmas tree lighting.
“My friends and I always go to the tree lighting,” Kelsie Douglas, a junior education major, said. “We make it a point to do it every year.”
Many students consider the annual tree lighting as one of their most memorable experiences at the University.
Cassandra Kaba, a junior political science major, said, “The tree lighting is my favorite Christmas event that we have at Seton Hall.”
Being able to come together as a community, hear the music and see the high-rising tree light up for the first time is a magical moment for some students.
“SHU’s tree is a nice aesthetic during the holiday season,” Taylor Newkirk, a senior psychology major, said. “I love walking by it in the evening.”
Students build gingerbread houses to get into the Christmas spirit.
Some students said that music is one of the best ways to get into the Christmas spirit. Christmas music is a timeless part of the season, and many students say that the Christmas season wouldn’t be the same without it.
“My favorite Christmas songs would either be ‘Where Are You Christmas?’ by Faith Hill or the obvious ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ by Mariah Carey,” Kaba said. “Those are always the two songs I listen to first when I’m ready to listen to Christmas music.”
Alyssa Giarrusso, a junior social work major, said, “My favorite Christmas song is Fifth Harmony’s version of ‘All I Want for Christmas is You.’”
Newkirk said that her favorite Christmas songs are “Winter Wonderland” and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” She also suggested that the University join in on the festivities of blasting Christmas music.
“I don’t know if they can play Christmas music when the bell tolls,” Taylor said. “But that would be cool if they could.”
One of the things that many of the students in the Seton Hall community added to their list of things to get them in the Christmas spirit was yearly traditions with their friends and families. Students say that these are the memories that allow them to think fondly on past Christmases as well as give them something to look forward to each year.
“Christmas without a doubt is my favorite time of the year,” Tyasia Harris, a junior psychology major, said. “The reason is that my family is big on traditions.”
Harris said that her family has several traditions for the Christmas season, including wearing matching Christmas pajamas and participating in a Secret Santa gift exchange, which she attributes as her favorite tradition.
“A tradition that we started doing a couple years ago was a gingerbread house building competition,” Harris said. “I always win the competition, so I guess you could say I’m the artistic one in the family.”
Andrew Byrd can be reached at andrew.byrd@student.shu.edu.
