President Miller kicks-off Holiday Season

Hamline students joined President Miller during her first Christmas tree lighting.

Ashani Trinh

President Miller passes out cookies before the tree lighting cermony Thursday.

Kovita Bhasin, Reporter

On Thursday evening the Hamline Community joined President Miller in the ceremony of the Christmas Tree Lighting. The freezing cold did not stop the Hamline students or professors from attending the event. Everyone dressed in their winter coats, boots and mittens ready to begin the celebrations of the season.

Hot chocolate, christmas cookies, and christmas carols denoted the joy of the season. The tree was to be lit at 4:30p.m., however students and faculty started assembling by 4:00 p.m. Students first had the opportunity of pouring themselves hot chocolate. Then, they formed a line to receive their free Hamline University golden mugs. President Miller started off by handing special Christmas cookies to all who were present. This way, we all had the chance to meet and greet the President individually.

The Christmas joy and spirit was in the air. A student wearing the Piper mascot outfit on took pictures with a group of girls, bringing smiles to their faces.

A professor shared the moment with her two young children and faculty bonding over hot chocolate. Students were meeting a professor’s pet dog and everyone was waiting eagerly to hear President Miller.

President Miller started the Christmas Carols. First, everyone sang “Jingle Bells”. The next song sang was “Let it Snow”, to which The President remarked “Let it snow, but in moderation.”

Then the carols ended by singing  the song “Frosty the Snowman”.

President Miller called all of the children to the front of the group to count down from ten to one before the tree was lit in red and yellow lights.

Following the lighting, students and faculty started dispersing. The President spoke about how this coming together as a community and celebrating together as one in spirit, one in heart, and united in what we want to do is the true meaning of the festival.

The tradition of lighting the Christmas tree begun in the middle of the seventeenth century in Germany. The evergreen fir tree has been used traditionally to celebrate winter festivals and the winter solstice for thousands of years.