My Favorite Holiday Festivities at DePaul
It is that time of the year- the winter holiday season! With that, it also happens to be finals week here at DePaul. However, there still are lots of events going on around campus to celebrate with students and find some stress-relief during the final weeks of fall quarter. After roaming through campus, here are my favorite holiday events happening that I have made a tradition of attending!
1. Holiday Cookie Stroll @ the Loop Campus
This year, I was finally downtown to make the annual Holiday Cookie Stroll! This event is exactly like the name- you stroll through the different offices and centers in the Loop Campus and collect cookies along the way. In addition to getting different types of treats, the participating offices have small activities such as pin-making and writing holiday cards to local kids.
I feel like there are so many spots around campus that I haven’t seen, so this is a great way to explore and learn more about the resources and programs we have at DePaul while celebrating the holiday spirit. This year, they were also giving out free mugs (How cute?!) and Dunkin gift cards for the first few hundred students! If you love cookies and scavenger-hunt-style games, this is the perfect event for you.
2. Tree Lighting Ceremony @ the Lincoln Park Campus
I have to say, this is one of my favorite DePaul events- I make sure to go every year. In Lincoln Park between the Quad and the library, a tall tree is covered in lights and lit up to celebrate the holidays. This is a classic activity for students to come together one last time before the end of the quarter and have fun with our Blue Demon community. You can make some hot chocolate with cookies (sensing a pattern with dessert here) and circle up around the tree with friends. This year, we also were able to pick up a DePaul scarf!
Before the tree gets lit up, we get to enjoy performances by DePaul’s own student-run Acapella group- the Fullertones. They sing some carols to get everyone in the holiday spirit. There are also short speeches from students, the provost, the ministry office, and more. I love how much everyone gets into the spirit at this event- it has such a nice turnout and it always seems to boost morale during that final stretch of class. Given that we are on a quarter system, most students are not on-campus for December, so this is a nice way to be able to celebrate together before the student body travels home for the holidays.
3. Holidays Around the World @ the Lincoln Park Campus
I had never heard of this event before this year, so it might be new, but it surely did not disappoint! After the Tree Lighting Ceremony, Holidays Around the World kicked off in the Lincoln Park Student Center. You checked in and received a mini ‘passport’ to be stamped by the different tables inside and if you get four stamps, you won a pair of exclusive DePaul Mittens! This was so cute and a new type of DePaul themed swag, so you know I had to make sure I snagged a pair.
Each table at the event focused on a different holiday/tradition occurring globally. It ranged from Three Kings Day to Ramadan, to Hanukkah and Diwali. There were small prizes at the tables that celebrated the holiday, and the people hosting were from a mix of DePaul student orgs and staff from the Office of Ministry. I got a dreidel and a samosa to take home, plus I learned a lot about the many festivities happening in the winter. At the end, you could also do some photo-ops and decorate cookies!
Overall, I love getting into the holiday spirit at DePaul- there is always so much to do for bringing in the festivities and it brings students together. Being apart for the holidays does not mean that Blue Demons can’t still celebrate together early! There are more events to check out as well- like the Ugly Sweater Party and Finals Breakfast- but these are my top three and are definitely up there as a ‘can’t-miss’ every year.
~Breanne