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The Iowa Stater
Dec. 15, 1995

It's Traditional

Tis the holiday season, a time of tradition and celebration. Over the years, Iowa State has observed the holidays in many ways.

The first holiday tree lightings were in 1914 and 1915. After a 30-year hiatus, the tree lighting became an annual tradition, starting in 1946. In the early 1950s, pranksters replaced several of the colored lights with flashbulbs to create a flash of light when the switch was thrown.

A bygone tradition is the White Breakfast, a special buffet once served in the women's residence halls on the last Sunday before winter vacation. Women students, dressed in white and carrying lighted candles, sang carols as they proceeded to the dining hall. The tradition, started by a Lyon Hall house mother in 1918, continued until the early 1960s.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the annual Holiday Festival of Music. The first performances were held in the Armory and involved as many as 400 students in various choruses. When the Iowa State Center was built in 1969, the popular festival moved to C.Y. Stephens Auditorium.

A relatively new tradition has been the annual production of The Nutcracker Ballet. For the past 15 years, local children and other artists have brought to life the charming story of Clara and her treasured Nutcracker.

The holiday season winds down with a visit to King James' court and the Madrigal Dinners. The dinners, featuring singers and musicians in Renaissance garb, were started in 1966 by Margaret Stanton Lange, '30, who was first dean of women at Iowa State and later, social secretary for the Memorial Union.

As you prepare for your own holiday traditions, The Iowa Stater staff sends you season's greetings and best wishes for the new year.

The Iowa Stater (inside@iastate.edu) University Relations

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Revised 12/19/95 URL: http://www.iastate.edu/ general/IaStater/holiday.html