An Illuminating Tradition

Hands down, my favorite things about William and Mary are its traditions. There are tons of different yearly things that remind me why I am a part of the Tribe. Two of the best traditions come in early December and are always a welcome respite from the stress of finals. Grand Illumination, put on by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, is the official start to the Christmas season in the restored section of town. The big draw is a three-pronged simultaneous fireworks show that goes off at the Governor’s Palace, the Magazine, and the Capitol Building. There are tons of students and residents mingling together and enough cider and cookies to feed a small nation. Carolers and A Cappella groups sing traditional songs and Merchant’s Square glows with thousands of lights and wreaths. It really gets a person into the spirit of the season, and the fireworks are a display to remember.

Coupled with Grand Illumination is one of the College’s oldest traditions- the Yule Log Ceremony. During finals, students crowd into the Wren Courtyard, taking a sprig of holly as they walk in. Different religious groups on campus take turns reading the story of their winter holidays. The stories of Christmas from the New Testament, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and others are shared. Then the Vice President for Student Affairs comes up and reads ‘Twas the Night Before Finals, which is always hilarious because she changes it each year to reflect interesting things that happened on campus during the semester- usually calling out certain students by name. The President of the College then comes up to read How the Grinch Stole Christmas, sometimes dressed as Santa. After that, an eight foot Yule Log is passed through the crowd and students rub their sprig of holly on it, hoping to gain a bit of luck. They then go into the Great Hall of the Wren Building and toss their holly into the huge fireplace, symbolizing the vanishment of all the year’s worries and anxiety.

Too bad finals start soon after…

Yule Log and Grand Illumination are two things that make me proud to be a part of the Tribe. Our College is steeped in tradition, that is part of what makes William and Mary so special. This place comes alive even more during the Holidays, and so if you’re in the area in early December, take a stroll down Duke of Gloucester Street- you just might find some carols and a cup of cider waiting for you.