Stories from the Spirit of Christmas
December 5, 2007
Lights? Check.
Carols? Check.
Snow? Check.
The most contagious dose of Christmas cheer to hit the Trinity Western University campus? Check.
These elements and many more were all part of last weekend’s “Spirit of Christmas” celebration, part of the township-wide “Christmas in the Valley.” Like last year, the university campus welcomed guests from the greater community to enjoy free music, Christmas activities, and festive decorations. Over 10,000 people attended the event.
All funds raised by the event, through donation buckets and other means, went to the Salvation Army.
Here are some of the highlights of the weekend:
Living nativity
Approximately 40 guests gathered around the snow-covered RNT parking lot for the beginning of the Living Nativity, a humour-filled guided tour telling the Christmas story.
This was one of 39 student-acted tours that took place throughout the three-day event.
The tour guide, depicted as the angel Gabriel “from the future,” led the guests to various stations. The first stop was to Zacharias, telling of the prophesied birth of John the Baptist. Next up was the angel’s visitation to Mary and Joseph announcing her pregnancy with Jesus; the couple then made their way to the census on a motorcycle. Third, Herod’s visit from the three Wise Men, or “Wisies,” decked out in yellow jump suits. Following that, the guide gave a brief review of the past stations and then proclaimed the Good News from Luke 2:10-12. The crowd of guests then traveled to the manger scene, where Mary sang an a cappella version of “Oh Holy Night,” followed by the whole cast closing with “What Child Is This?” The tour ended at a petting zoo, while Gabriel noted, “His ending was our beginning, but that’s another story.”
Christmas tree contest winners
Seventeen ornately decorated trees graced the hall between the Cafeteria and the Atrium for this year’s Christmas Tree Contest, but only three groups’ trees took the prizes. Winners are as follows:
- University Communications won “Best Representation of a Group Tree”
- Department of Biology/Biotechnology won “Most Creative Tree”
- Site Lines Architecture won “Most Beautiful Tree”
Farm sells trees for charity
New to the festivities this year was the addition of tree sales from the Oh Christmas Tree Farm, located minutes from TWU in Milner. The farm sold trees not just for the holidays, but also for charity, giving five dollars of every sale to the Salvation Army. Proceeds will help to build the new homeless shelter set to be constructed next year.
“It’s good exposure for us and a good cause,” said Oh Christmas Tree Farms’ Richard Davies.
Set up in the parking lot accompanied by two heat lamps, Davies and Matt Pommier worked the Spirit of Christmas all three nights of the event.
Little Baby Jesus’ Christmas Adventure Village
Another new addition to Spirit of Christmas last weekend was the TWU Student Association’s contribution called “Little Baby Jesus’ Christmas Adventure Village.”
Set up in the gym, guests were invited to make gingerbread houses, Christmas cards and wreaths, sip hot apple cider, all while being serenaded by acoustic musical guests such as Simon Hoskyn and Jordan T. West.
Group photos with Caesar, an angel, various magi and other Christmas celebrities were also available at the event.
Though she enjoyed the event, Rosie Scott, TWU Alumnus who came back to experience the Christmas celebration, was disappointed that “there was no baby Jesus. Where was the baby Jesus?” She added, “Instead, I had to settle for Caesar.”
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