Christmas in Poughkeepsie
As we approach the final weeks of the Fall 2022 semester, we reflect on all the things we have accomplished and plan for the next semester or next chapter in our lives. But, there is still a great deal happening on campus, especially with the arrival of the holiday season.
Marist College works hard to make the campus feel like a community and a home away from home. As we approach the holidays, students may feel homesick and lose motivation. In an effort to combat that weariness and boost student morale, Marist has been hosting different holiday events and fundraisers.
Christmas Tree Lighting
“My favorite holiday tradition at Marist is the tree lighting. I’ve been going since my freshman year and still every time I forget how beautiful the tree is when it is lit up. It’s a fun time for all of my friends to get together too,” said Natalie Tisler ‘23.
On Nov. 28, Marist held its annual Christmas tree lighting. The well-cherished tradition is a great opportunity for students and alumni to come together and celebrate the beginning of the holiday season.
The tree is decked out in about 74,000 LED lights, only about 24,000 lights less than what is on the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City, which people travel thousands of miles to see. The tree has been prepared and strung with lights since before Halloween, and it is a gorgeous sight to see at night on campus.
Olivia Mazzaro ‘26 said, “My first Marist Christmas tree lighting was really fun! I love how the community came together. It felt like the official start to the holiday season. I also liked how we were able to take pictures with our friends by the tree.”
Shania Fernandez ‘26 added, “Experiencing the Marist Christmas tree lighting for the first time definitely lived up to my expectations. I heard some of my upperclassmen friends talking about it and how it is also a tradition to take pictures inside the tree and being able to do it for the first time made me finally feel like a Marist student. I am happy to have beautiful pictures that will forever remind me of a happy memory that happened my freshman year.”
Marist Christmas Tree Lighting on November 28th
Photo by Hannah Tone '26
MPorium Home for the Holidays Release
On Nov. 21, MPorium at Marist, the student-run boutique on campus, released its Christmas collection with new sweatpants and sweatshirt designs. They also had various sales and promotions throughout the week to correlate with the release and Black Friday and Cyber Monday events.
The store was decorated from top to bottom for the holidays and provided a great experience as the store handed shoppers free snacks and hot cocoa while they browsed around, offering a sweet touch. Ava Battinelli ‘26 said, “I would say the event is super heartwarming and the collection was equally cozy and the products are the perfect gifts for friends and family.”
MPorium Holiday Release Day
Photo by Hannah Tone '26
The Giving Trees
On Nov. 13, the annual Giving Tree project returned to the Marist campus for the 29th year. The motive of this project is to ‘adopt’ members of the Poughkeepsie community and help them fulfill their Christmas wishes and other things they may need.
There are eight trees across campus at locations such as Donnelly Hall, Lowell Thomas, 51 Fulton, Fontaine, Hancock, the Champagnat Breezeway, Allied Health Building and the MPorium store located in the Steel Plant.
Students and faculty are asked to pitch in if possible and help our Poughkeepsie community. Items asked for include curtains, comforters, other household goods and much more. This ongoing event is a great way to get involved and make a change within our local community.
Collections end on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. and participants are invited by Campus Ministry to attend the Giving Tree Ceremony, which will be held at 7:20 p.m. that evening in the Chapel.
The Giving Tree located in Lowell Thomas
Photo by Hannah Tone '26
Celebration of Lights Holiday Village Fest
Each year, the City of Poughkeepsie organizes a holiday event to connect with the community for the holidays. In years past, they would celebrate with a parade, but this year they decided to put a new twist into the event. It will be completely recyclable and renewable!
As found on the Bardavon website, the buildings and light poles located on Dongan Place will be decorated in recycled ornaments and upcycled crafts. As for the storefronts and businesses, they will display “handmade standards, pennants, streamers, banners, illustrating the diverse known solutions to climate change all in keeping with the customary holiday fare.”
The city plans to work with local businesses and restaurants to sponsor the event such as Mahoney’s, Millanesse, The Derby, Erin O’Neills, Geodis, Rhinebeck Bank, Efco Baking Co and CR Properties.
Whether it’s visiting the Marist Christmas tree or participating in the Giving Tree collection, there are many ways to get into the holiday spirit right here on campus.