Join us for the 15th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Grab your blue Santa hats as Seton Hall University marks its 15th annual Christmas at the Hall celebration with its renowned Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6 p.m., Tuesday, December 3, on the University Green. This festive celebration promises an evening filled with holiday cheer, featuring live performances, seasonal treats and a chance to join in the spirit of giving.

Known for its festive cheer, Seton Hall continues the tradition of bringing holiday cheer to the community with its Christmas program, which has consistently been recognized as No.1 for Christmas—and ranked the best college in America for "Holiday Events" by Best College Reviews and has the “Most Cheerful Christmas Traditions” by Academic Influence.

In the spirit of joy and in celebration of our faith tradition, the University community will begin the festivities by offering a Christmas at the Hall Mass at 5 p.m. in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, with Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly as the main celebrant, assisted by Father Nicholas Sertich, Father Colin Kay, Father John Dennehy, and Father Nicholas Figurelli, immediately followed by the Nativity Blessing at the Crèche.

Setonians, friends, family and members of the community will then gather in a sea of Seton Hall blue at 6 p.m. on the University Green for the traditional Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony that includes hot cocoa and candy canes, Santa hats and a special prayer to bless the tree and all those in attendance by Father Colin Kay.

A highlight of the evening will feature emcees Winston Roberts, assistant vice president of Student Services and dean of Student Engagement, and Kai Hansen, senior and president of the SGA, who will invite attendees to count down to the actual lighting ceremony as they pull a special switch to electrify the night to the cheers of the crowd.

Students can also take advantage of photo opportunities with the halo structure in the center of the Green and snow machines that will make it feel like a winter wonderland.

Helping to spread the holiday joy are Grounds Director Jeffrey J. Truskowski and his team, who decorate the 75-foot-tall Norway Spruce for Christmas every year. This year, it will take about 15 days to put up.

This year’s ceremony will be both in-person and available through livestream, so Pirates from near and far can feel part of this campus tradition. With the assistance of many student volunteers, those on site can enjoy live performances from talented campus groups, including the Seton Hall University Theatre Council, Seton Hall Sapphires and Seton Hall Pep Band, among others.

The Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE) is running its annual Love Thy Neighbor: DOVE Toy Drive benefiting several schools and agencies in Newark, the Maplewood-South Orange School District and the Don Bosco Youth Center. In addition to local sites, DOVE donates gifts for impoverished children in Appalachia, West Virginia, as they have done for over 25 years. Each year, members of our Seton Hall network donate upwards of 1,500 toys for children in need.

“I have the unique opportunity to deliver some of these gifts directly to West Virginia, where we throw a Christmas party for local families. From this experience, I would like to share that while the look on a child’s face when receiving a gift is a beautiful thing, there is an even deeper appreciation in the faces of the parents,” says Amanda Cavanagh, director of DOVE. “The comfort, support, hope and joy that these parents feel in seeing their children happy is indescribable. For families struggling to put food on the table, these gifts would have been an impossibility for them to provide for their children. They feel relieved from the burden of not being able to make ‘Christmas happen’ for their children and feel even more support from the community than most people realize.”

Donations can be dropped off at a tent during the Tree Lighting Ceremony or at the DOVE office in Boland Hall (9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday through Friday). DOVE is also accepting monetary donations to support the toy drive here. The first 500 DOVE Toy Drive donors will receive a blue Santa hat as a gift for their contribution. It is also DOVE Mission Night, where volunteers will gather in the Campus Ministry Lounge in Boland Hall to prepare snack bags for elementary school children in need of weekend meals.

KNOW MORE, an initiative of the Dean of Students Office, will also be doing a Giving Tree for JBWS, a private, nonprofit agency that provides safety, support and solutions for abuse for anyone who lives or works in primarily Morris County, NJ, and faces the issues of intimate partner abuse. Those who wish to donate can select a gift tag from the tree outside on the second floor of the University Center, which includes information such as gift type and due date. All gifts can be brought unwrapped to University Center Room 214 during normal business hours. When the gift is dropped off, please tape the gift tag to the gift.

Families and parents—don’t forget to visit the Family Tent to receive a Seton Hall tree ornament, write holiday cards to your students, receive some holiday treats and support our Giving Tuesday campaign.

For extra festive fun, check out the Christmas Toolkit, complete with digital backgrounds, coloring sheets, lawn signs and more to get in the holiday spirit before the Tree Lighting Ceremony. The Christmas Toolkit also includes the Deck the Hall Spotify Playlist with the community's favorite holiday tunes.

Holiday cheer will also be spread at these events happening throughout November and December:

DOVE Toy Drive
November 4 - December 9, 2024
The DOVE Toy Drive brings joy to children Christmas morning, supporting our immediate neighbors and reaching as far as the Appalachian region of West Virginia.

Graduate Student Wine and Cheese Social
Tuesday, December 3
Graduate Student Wine & Cheese Social at Christmas at The Hall.

Christmas at the Hall Kick-Off Mass
Tuesday, December 3
Celebrate the kick-off of Christmas at the Hall with our special Mass!

Annual Christmas Tree Lighting
Tuesday, December 3
Seton Hall University will celebrate its annual Christmas at the Hall Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday, December 3 at 6 p.m. on the University Green.

Christmas Tree Lighting Family Tent
Tuesday, December 3
Visit the Family Tent at the Christmas Tree Lighting to receive a Seton Hall tree ornament, write holiday cards to your students, and receive some holiday treats.

Advent Confessions
Wednesday, December 4
Come, share your confessions in the back of the Main Chapel.

SAB Presents: Open Mic Night - Christmas Karoloke
Thursday, December 5
Join SAB for a special holiday-themed open mic night. Let's cozy up together and sing along to our favorite Christmas songs.

Seton Hall University’s 1964 Christmas Television Spectacular
Friday, December 6
Seton Hall University Theatre presents: 1964 Christmas Television Spectacular.

The annual Christmas Tree Lighting is free and open to the public, with all activities taking place outdoors on the University Green. Visitors can also explore Seton Hall’s beautifully decorated campus and enjoy the holiday ambiance that makes this event one of the most anticipated of the year.

Categories: Campus Life