Life in John’s editor, Maia Tollner, reminisces about Christmas at St John’s during the 2024 Michaelmas term, recollecting the various musical, gastronomical and artistic events which revived the festive spirit.
As one of the rare few who didn’t survive Bailey Ball, I was lucky to wake up to a snow-coated scene (courtesy of Storm Bert). It was idyllic, picturesque, plucked straight out of a Christmas card. It did melt away by lunchtime. But Christmas felt near. Icy temperatures now pierce the air, frost crystallises holly leaves, and floating candles glimmer above the streets. Market stalls crop up as does a towering golden Christmas tree, and Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is impossible to escape. The run-up to the end of Michaelmas term is a perfect remedy for a blizzard of essays and exams. Ever since Bailey Ball, St John’s has been bustling with activity in preparation for the holidays, providing a myriad of events to make those begrudgingly slow, last few weeks enjoyable for all.
When the mince pies appear at lunch, Christmas truly has begun. Yet, the festivities formally began with St John’s carol services, one taking place in Leech Hall and the other in the magnificent Durham Cathedral. In the bleak midwinter, these magical carol services transported the audience with many loved carols, like Silent Night and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, performed by our Chapel Choir and John’s Music Society (JMS) Choir. Needless to say, the start to Christmas at John’s was pitch-perfect, uniting the audience through uplifting music.
The Christian Union also got involved in the performing arts, revitalising a well-known story. With a touch of creative flair and a dash of comedy, the society worked hard both onstage and offstage to bring the Nativity to life. First year student, Naomi Vaughan, described how the company were unified in their interest in “sharing the Christian message of the Christmas story with everybody”, creating “a really lovely experience”. Leech Hall was full, packed with students from all years, from both in and out of college. All in all, it was a joyful and reflective evening wonderfully illustrating the origins of Christmas.
Christmas’ community spirit also shone through when the college community worked together to decorate the reception Christmas tree. On a bitterly cold evening in Leech Hall, college residents made glittering baubles and vibrant paper chains, with the handy help of Christmas tunes and hot chocolate with all kinds of syrups and toppings. As well as being a time to bond with our own community, Christmas is a time to connect and give back to the community beyond John’s. As an annual tradition, St John’s held their Christmas card appeal. Postboxes and felt-tip pens were scattered around the college and the LRC, encouraging students to decorate cards and write kindhearted messages to residents of the local care home, wishing them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
And, what better way to finish the festivities than with a Mega-Christmas formal? On the final Wednesday of Michaelmas, Leech Hall was transformed into a wintry scene with twinkling fairy lights and white clothed-draped tables for the Christmas Mega-Formal. Brimming with delicious food and friendly company, the Christmas Mega-Formal truly was a special event. The formalities were swiftly followed by some Beer and Carols in the Bailey Room and a brilliant Panto in Leech Hall, where SJCR executives and staff members delivered their own rendition of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Surprisingly, the cast only received their scripts during the Mega-Formal and remarkably pulled off excellent performances, wittily delivering all of John’s puns and immersing the audience in a hilarious take on the classic tale. To wrap it all up, students danced their way to midnight to well-known Christmas classics beautifully performed by the JMS Jazz Band, who gave the all too familiar tunes a calming, jazzy twist.
Over the last few weeks, we have all spent invaluable time with each other, whether it has been singing carols, performing on stage or decorating the Christmas tree. Special thanks should go to the staff and students at John’s for organising these incredible events which have fostered the inclusive, communal spirit which defines John’s. From the chocolates and window stickers at reception to the ‘Ho Ho Ho’ sign above the coffee machines, from the head-bopping music to candy canes left outside our doors by John’s ghost, it seems that Christmas, actually, is all around, sparkling in those familiar signs of Christmas, and the time we share together.
Image credit: Maia Tollner and Amelia Dove.
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