Villanova’s annual tree lighting celebration was held on the Rowen Campus Green on Thursday, Dec. 4. At 5 p.m. sharp, the Green was packed with bundled up students, faculty and families all waiting to officially ring in the Christmas season. The Villanova Voices, Singers and Chorale sang a succession of Christmas carols as people milled around and retrieved their hot chocolate from the nearby tent.
The event was primed and ready to go off without a hitch. Students were eager to join in a treasured campus tradition.
“I love the tree lighting every year,” junior Anna Koberstein said. “It’s one of my favorite Villanova traditions. It helps me get into the holiday spirit during the stress of finals.”
However, the tree lighting looked a little different this year. There was one major hiccup that no planning could have foretold: not having a tree at all. With less than an hour to go until the event was supposed to start, Villanova’s Christmas tree was carefully dismantled as a precaution in response to heightened wind gusts. As the Voices, the Singers, and Chorale got into position, a crew was taking the tree apart and loading it into the back of a truck.
This led to a lot of confusion in the crowd as people arrived at a tree lighting celebration that no longer had a central tree.
As the singing came to a close, Student Body Vice President Sidney Mbah took to the podium to introduce University President Rev. Peter M. Donahue, O.S.A, Ph.D. Father Peter acknowledged the awkward circumstances that had befallen this year’s event but kept his statement positive. He encouraged everyone present to take it upon themselves to illuminate the darkness in the world and to keep the true spirit of Christmas in their hearts. Following his words, senior Sebastian Moreland stepped up to the podium to read the story of the birth of Christ. Father Peter then returned to the stage to say a prayer, which offered a quiet moment for reflection amidst the large crowd and commotion.
But the lack of a Christmas tree was still hanging over the celebration.
“I was really looking forward to this evening, but apparently the tree was on the ground this afternoon,” junior Claudia Herold said.
Similar sentiments swept through the crowd throughout the celebration. The quick thinking of the event organizers turned this celebration into a lighting of the trees, plural, referring to the several trees strung with lights that line the walkways through the Green. This decision allowed the event to go forward and keep some of its festive flair, but many still walked away feeling a bit disappointed.
There was an exclamation as the trees were lit, and while they are undoubtedly beautiful, some attendees couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed.
“I feel like they just didn’t do as much this year, especially in terms of decorations around campus,” junior Alena Chung said. “It felt rushed.”
Once the lights had been lit, the choirs sang another carol as people began to disperse. Some lingered, unsure if the event was truly over, some hurried back to their finals prep and some ran to be first in line to greet Santa on the steps of Corr Hall.
“I was disappointed,” Herold said. “But Santa is here so I’m going to go take a picture.”
The main Christmas tree returned to campus on Monday and was lit up in the evening for all to see.
While the tree lighting wasn’t exactly what anyone was expecting this year, it was still a faithful homage to an important tradition here on campus and an official start to the holiday season at Villanova.
