A man holds a child on his shoulders as they watch a tall Christmas tree being lit in the evening.
University News

Georgetown Celebrates Holiday Season With Giving and Carols

December 17, 2019

The Georgetown community began celebrating the holiday season in the spirit of giving, embracing time together and caroling.

Main Campus lit up during the Tree Lighting Ceremony in Dahlgren Quadrangle Dec. 6, just before students began studying for final exams.

Student groups – including the Chimes, the Gospel Choir, Saxatones and GraceNotes – sang a medley of carols during the annual ceremony.

Students talk outside with a lit Christmas tree in the background.
A female student looks at a performance with a smile amid a crowd of students.
Students sing in chorus outside donning Santa hats during an evening performance.
A female student wraps Christmas gifts.
A woman smiles with her two children as they hold wrapped Christmas presents.
A female student wears a Santa hat while sitting down and talking to a young child.
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Students gather for the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony before final exams start.

A student listens to the sounds of carolers as the university begins celebrating the holiday season.

Student groups – including the Chimes, Gospel Choir, Saxatones and GraceNotes – sang a medley of carols during the annual ceremony in Dahlgren Quadrangle.

A medical student wraps one of the many gifts volunteers handed out to members of the Washington, DC community as part of the annual HOYA Clinic Toy Drive.

The annual toy drive raised more than $10,000 from members of the university community to make sure some of the city’s youngest residents had at least one gift for Christmas.

Gifts went to children at three DC locations that house families experiencing homelessness.

Jesuit Traditions

“There is so much to enjoy here at Georgetown during the Christmas season,” says Rev. Mark Bosco, S.J., vice president of Mission and ministry. “I always love seeing the student musical groups perform carols at the Tree Lighting Ceremony, followed by the beautiful Lessons and Carols in the chapel that same evening.”

In keeping with the Jesuit tradition of being people for others, giving back to the surrounding community was also an important part of Georgetown’s celebration.

More than 50 students, faculty, staff and alumni from the School of Continuing Studies handed out about 100 kits containing gloves, socks, hats, first aid kits, hand warmers and toiletries to members of the city’s homeless population this past weekend.

A student wearing a Christmas hat leans down to talk to a child with decorative lights in the foreground.

Spreading Magic

During the Georgetown School of Medicine’s annual HOYA Clinic Toy Drive Dec. 2, medical students wrapped and handed out gifts to children at three locations in Washington, DC that house families experiencing homelessness.

Sarah Trent (M’22) and Ben Hack (M’22), HOYA Clinic student volunteers, led a fundraising campaign for the drive that kicked off Dec. 3. Generous donations from students, faculty and staff helped raise more than $10,000 for toys.

“It’s so important for all kids – especially those experiencing poverty and homelessness – to look forward to and enjoy the magic of the holidays,” says Trent. “For families facing financial hardships, it can also be difficult to budget for gifts, so the HOYA Clinic Toy Drive aims to ease that financial and emotional burden on families so that everyone can truly enjoy the holidays.

Bosco says his favorite holiday moment on campus is the Advent Mass.

“It’s becoming more and more a tradition among all Hoyas, Catholic or not,” he says. “We start in the Quad and sing songs as we climb the stairs to Gaston Hall, and all the chapel choirs sing together at the Mass. It is such a wonderful way to prepare for Christmas as a Georgetown community.”

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