On Dec. 1, the annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony took place on Samford lawn following downtown Auburn’s holiday market. The ceremony blended Christmas and Hanukkah traditions, bringing the Auburn community together over warm refreshments, holiday-themed crafts and vocal performances.
Hosted by the city of Auburn and Auburn University, the event was staffed by Auburn University’s United Program Council (UPC) and Jewish student organization, Hillel.
UPC tents were set up on Samford lawn offering a free hot chocolate bar, complete with marshmallows, cinnamon and peppermint, as well as cookies and latkes. Hillel tents gave the community a chance to learn about the dreidel and its importance in Jewish culture by playing a game with take-home dreidels and chocolate golden coins.
At 5:00 p.m., the on-stage portion of the lighting ceremony began, hosted by Cole Wheeler, president of UPC, and Liana Shapiro, president of Hillel. They kicked of the program by introducing Auburn Mayor Ron Anders.
“I'm thankful for the university and their interest and their willingness to be a part of our great community, and I'm so thankful for the people that live in Auburn and make Auburn a truly special place,” Anders said. “I hope in your gift giving [this season], you're very generous, and I hope in your receiving, you're very thankful.”
Uniting the Auburn community as one family, music was a major component of the Holiday Lighting Ceremony. After Anders left the stage, Wheeler and Shapiro introduced several vocal groups.
“Let's take a moment to appreciate the joy that music brings to the holiday season. Whether it's humming your favorite carol, singing along with friends or experiencing a live performance like this one, music connects us all in such a special way,” Shapiro said.
Musical performances included Auburn University's premier male a cappella group, Full Auctave, performing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” and East Samford School Choir’s medley of Christmas classics like “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” directed by Chris Deason who encouraged the crowd to sing along. The MelAUdic women’s a cappella group performed a rendition of “Mary, Did You Know?”.
Courtney Caplan, vice president of Hillel, welcomed the Hillel Executive Team and Auburn University's men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who is also Jewish, to the stage. They explained the origins and importance of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, and other Jewish traditions.
“As a Jewish student organization, we strive to create a community and an environment where students can grow learn and celebrate Jewish traditions and Jewish life,” Caplan said. “We'd like to ask you to reflect on ways that you can shine more light into the world. Let us shine brightly together as one Auburn family.”
Pearl continued, mentioning the Jewish hostages still held in Gaza.
“Not every place in the country can Jewish students be standing up before you without protests,” Pearl said. “While we are celebrating these holidays, let’s also be mindful of the people that can’t celebrate them with us.”
Pearl and members of Hillel left the stage after cheering “Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! And War Eagle!”
Afterwards, Wheeler and Shapiro introduced Dr. Bobby Woodard, senior vice president for student affairs at Auburn University, and Chris Roberts, the University's president. Both praised the city of Auburn’s cooperation with the University and encouraged students to finish the semester strong while enjoying the holiday season.
The last performance of the night was Auburn University's Choir’s “Carol of the Bells” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”. After these songs, Aubie joined President Roberts on stage at 5:30 p.m. for the long-awaited Christmas tree and menorah lighting.
The crowd joined Aubie and President Roberts in a countdown from ten to one, at the end of which, President Roberts flipped the oversized switch and the decorated tree and menorah lit up. With the on-stage portion of the ceremony completed, the crowd migrated towards the glowing tree and menorah, grabbing more snacks from the UPC tents and taking pictures with family and friends.
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Jennifer Santiago is a freshman in exploratory studies from Enterprise, AL. Santiago has been with The Auburn Plainsman since Fall 2024.
