Celebrating Christmas

Christmas at Messiah College has always been one of joy, lights and celebration. One of the most popular celebrations of the season is the annual Christmas Tradition dance organized by the Students Activities Board. Students have the chance before finals to dress up in formal wear and spend a glamorous evening among their peers. Below are some Christmas Tradition memories from current students and alumni:

“I loved Christmas Tradition! I was a student at Messiah from ’97-’01, and I didn’t miss one the four years I was here. They were all held at the Hershey Hotel, with a dinner and dance that were in the same large room. They just cleared the tables and opened up the dance floor after. There was always a DJ, and I remember great music and having a fun time dancing with friends.”

— Meg Jones Hoover ’01
 

“My freshman year, it was held in a hotel in Harrisburg and the theme was the ’20s. A lot of people were enthusiastic about the theme and came in costume, including myself and my friends who dressed as flappers!”

– Ashlyn Miller ’17
 

“Christmas Tradition was usually held on campus, and they decorated Brubaker Auditorium with tables and lovely centerpieces. It was more of a banquet with a concert because, at the time, dancing was not allowed at the College. My favorite memory is my first Christmas Tradition in 1981. The person I went with had been trying to convince me to eat dinner with him in Lottie almost every Tuesday and Thursday after Concert Choir rehearsal for the entire semester. So when I finally relented, we found out we really clicked. Soon after, he asked me to the Christmas Tradition. I wore a cinnamon-colored longer full skirt and matching vest with a cream-colored tie blouse – an outfit that I had sewn myself, which was lovely for the time but which I shudder to look back on to this day. When Jon ’85 arrived to pick me up on Old Main third floor —YES, it was a dormitory back then—I remember he was worried because the corsage from the florist looked a little more like a small Christmas centerpiece than something to wear. Jon and I dated all four years in college, and now we’ve been married more than 31 years!”

—Nance (Leitzel) McCown ’85, associate professor and co-chair of the Department of Communication
 

“I went to Christmas Traditions in ’87 and ’88, both held in Lottie during my time at Messiah, and really enjoyed them. I wore a suit and tie, while my wife Dawn (Snyder) ’91—who was my girlfriend then—wore a nice dress. The thing I enjoyed most was that the dining hall was transformed into a beautiful banquet hall, the food was even better than usual, and the entertainment was great.  The first year we went featured a comedian. The second year, we enjoyed one of my all-time favorite artists, Phil Keaggy, who was absolutely amazing. Getting to relax and enjoy time with friends before finals was great.”

— Mark Templeton ’91
 

“It was fun to have a chance to de-stress with close friends before finals, and it’s never a bad thing when you get to wear a sparkly dress.”

—Bree Whitelock ’17