The bright lights hanging across the quad and the giant pine tree on the terrace merrily reminded everyone that it’s time to get into the holiday spirit! Santa even made a special visit to the Bishop’s campus to start the celebrations on December 1, 2022. One of the many traditions on campus, the Christmas Tree Lighting is something students can always look forward to after Thanksgiving break. Shirley Xu (‘23) said, “Since it’s my last year at Bishop’s, I really want to make the most of Bishop’s traditions.”

At the Christmas Tree Lighting, jazz bands and the upper and middle school choirs poured their hearts into creating the festive environment of the holidays. Alivia Schmidgal (‘25) mentioned how, “It’s been nice, getting into the holiday spirit.” 

Let’s not forget about the wonderful food that was served at the Tree Lighting. “I like all the food, the hot cocoa, and the popcorn that I’m eating. I think it’s really fun and I don’t get this opportunity to eat like this very often,” Ellen Wang (‘25) said. Many of the booths were run by parent volunteers, serving savory delights like pizza and tomato soup and sugary treats like cookies, brownies, and meringues. 

However, the highlight of the event is the count down to the lighting of the Christmas tree where Santa dramatically turns on the lights. Looking closely, many students believe that someone is posing as Santa. Grace Sun (‘23) believes that Mr. Kamal Assaf is under the Santa costume, “100%!” Ellen and Alivia both agree with Grace, concluding that Mr. Assaf is the secret Santa of Bishop’s. Shirley Xu (‘23) on the other hand, believes that “it’s actually Santa” that lights the tree every year at Bishop’s. 

No matter; students just need to make it to December 25 to see Santa again.