Addison Thomas ’27
Siena Scungio ’27
As this holiday season rapidly approaches, the Episcopal Academy community will be celebrating with many annual traditions, such as the Christmas Tree Lighting. This tradition stretches far beyond the illumination of a tree; through the warm hot chocolate, talented musicians playing in the chapel, and a radiant tree, a sense of fulfillment always spreads throughout the campus. This year, the event fell on December 6th and was as successful as ever.
From the cookies displayed to the tree itself, the lighting requires a lot of preparation. Throughout the week, cookies are donated by Middle School families, and the tree is constructed on that Monday. Mark Notaro Chief Operating Officer states that there is, “a lot of planning behind the event between the EAPA, the grounds crew, and the facilities department. There’s a lot of communication early in the school year about making sure we have enough time to secure a big enough tree and then all the events and things we do.”
As an EA parent, Notaro has also seen the joy of the event through the eyes of all three of his children who have each attended Episcopal since kindergarten. He reflected upon how the function, “is one of the few times that we have Middle, Lower, and Upper School students and parents show up to support the community together.”
Head of Upper School, Mike Letts notes, “Collectively as a community we do a really great job celebrating the holidays, having these events bring the whole community together…it just gets everybody— at least for me—into a great holiday mood. It’s a great atmosphere and feeling for the community.”
Letts also recounted prior Christmas Tree Lightings, referencing a “Jingle Bell Run” that used to take place, that the former head of school Ham Clark led. “We ordered a bunch of Santa hats and you know jingle bells that you could wear on your ankle or your neck, we went for a jog around campus” replaying the memories of the tree lighting in years prior.
Moreover, students at Episcopal see the spirit through a different lens but feel it all the same. For Grace Christie ’27, this tradition has been a special part of her life since Kindergarten. Christie notes, “I think it’s a really fun tradition that I’ve been going to and it always just gets me in the Christmas spirit.” She also emphasized the other parts of the evening, praising the cookies and performances that occur throughout the night. Parker Totherow ’29 has been at Episcopal for three years, and 2024 marked her fourth Christmas Tree Lighting. To her, this holiday tradition stretches far beyond fun activities, it is a heartfelt celebration of community spirit. She notes the significance of the connections, saying, “It just means the community coming together to celebrate this amazing time of year.”
Every year, students and faculty alike embrace the Christmas Tree Lighting as a tradition, and it exemplifies the unity within the EA community as well as the joy that surrounds the holiday season altogether. In the days leading up to winter break, let us not forget the values that the event symbolizes, and continue to have gratitude and acceptance for those we surround.