During the last months of fall semester, Christmas cheer was spread all throughout campus. As I reminisce in these good times, read more to see how I celebrated Christmas at Notre Dame and the joys it brought me!
Door Decorating
One of my favorite things that I did to relieve some final’s stress was decorating my dorm door in Flaherty Hall! The resident assistant (RA) in my section pulled out some wrapping and construction paper, tape, and markers, and told us to go wild! I saw a big sheet of green paper and decided that I wanted to make a Christmas tree. After that, I decorated it with ornaments, and filled up the empty space on top with “JOY” written on some paper. I loved the way it turned out, and it was so nice to come home everyday and remind myself that it's Christmas time!
Christmas Events
There were many Christmas events that were hosted throughout December to relieve some stress, and my favorites were Carroll Christmas and Howard Halliday. At these events, there was karaoke, snacks (like pretzels and cookies), hot chocolate, mini-tree decorating, and even horse-drawn carriage rides! I thoroughly enjoyed wearing my Christmas gear and attending these events with friends to celebrate the holiday!
Musical Concerts
There are so many talented musical organizations on campus, and many of them put on holiday-themed concerts for the masses to enjoy! I was able to attend the Voices of Faith Gospel Choir Fall Concert and the Notre Dame Chorale & Festival Baroque Orchestra Joint Concert (pictured), and both were so amazing! I was able to appreciate the musicality of the performing groups, and it was lovely to hear the holiday cheer through these wonderful voices and instruments!
Christmas Music
I don’t know about you, but hearing Christmas music really puts me in the holiday mood! In the dining halls, they would play a radio station with non-stop Christmas bops, and every time I ate a meal there, I was dancing in my seat and humming along. In addition, during finals week, I listened to Christmas music because it calmed me down and made me feel relaxed; the soothing singing voices, the delicate piano melody, the touching sentimental lyrics…all of it made me so happy. My favorite Christmas carol is “O Holy Night” and my favorite song is “Last Christmas” by Wham!; I would definitely recommend listening to your favorite holiday tunes when you want to feel relaxed!
Christmas Trees Galore
Another thing that I loved seeing on campus was the plentiful display of Christmas trees! In most buildings,there was a humongous tree for all to see! This brought me so much joy, and no matter what was going on or how stressed I was, I would look up and see a wonderful display of art that made me excited for the upcoming holiday. I want to thank the employees of the university who worked so hard to put these beautiful trees together! Pictured is my favorite tree that was displayed in O’Shaughnessy Hall; I enjoy the classic Christmas tree look and colors, and I especially love the nativity scene being incorporated!
Gift Giving
Lastly, one of my favorite parts about Christmas is giving gifts to my friends and family! I hosted a Secret Santa gift exchange for my group of friends and we all opened gifts while drinking hot cocoa, blasting Christmas music, decorating our Christmas tree, and just hanging out with each other. The person that got my name gave me some hair clips and a facial Jade roller, and they were such great gifts that I use every day!
Even though the snow did not stick this December, it still felt like Christmas at Notre Dame! Being with friends, enjoying the sights, eating many sweets, and celebrating my faith all got me through the last few weeks of school, and I wouldn’t want to do this anywhere else! Christmas is such a special time of year, so take a much needed break, safely spend time with friends and family, and truly enjoy what this holiday is about!
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
