By Victoria Hock ’23
Houghton Professors have a variety of Christmas traditions with which they celebrate the Christmas season. The STAR asked professors to tell us about some of these. Here are their responses:
A favorite tradition of Assistant Professor of Accounting Elianna McHenry (‘18) is one inspired by a Christmas movie:
“Every year on Christmas Eve, my siblings, siblings-in-law, nieces and nephews, parents, husband and I all eat Chinese food together because my dad’s favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Story. Some years we go out to a restaurant and others we order take-out and eat at my parent’s house. It’s one of my favorite days of the year because we are all together and sharing a meal in a time when we are all so busy and don’t do that very often!”
Christmas decorations are the focus of a tradition that Professor of Communication Douglas Gaerte engages in each year:
“Over the years my wife and I have built a collection of wooden Christmas trees. We probably have 70-80
different trees, and over Thanksgiving weekend we get them out of storage and arrange them on our fireplace mantle as a way of marking the start of the Advent season. When our children were younger, they loved unpacking them and setting them up. Often the conversation would revolve around vacations
where we had picked up a tree or remembering special friends who had given us a particular tree as a gift. Now my two granddaughters enjoy being involved in the fun.”
Associate Professor of Old Testament Sarah Derck partakes in a variety of traditions:
“A Derck Christmas is thick with traditions, some we’ve inherited and some we’ve made up. One of our favorites is to go with friends up to GEVA Theatre in Rochester, and see a showing of The Christmas Carol. We also give pajamas on Christmas Eve, and then on Christmas morning before we open other presents, we read the Gospel stories of Jesus’ birth from Matthew and Luke. We listen to the Carol Service from King’s College, Cambridge, and cook a British Christmas feast.”
Associate Dean of the Chapel and Adjunct Professor of Youth Ministry JL Miller’s Christmas traditions invoke strong feelings of warmth and comfort together with loved ones:
“Each year on Christmas Eve we come home from a candlelight service to enjoy a large dinner and scrumptious dessert followed by everyone in the family getting new pajamas to wear for Christmas day. Once we slip into the new PJ’s, we wrap up the evening by watching The Muppets Christmas Carol.”
Director of the Writing Center Laurie Dashnau involves the Writing Center in her Christmas traditions:
“About ten years ago I bought a miniChristmas tree and small Christmas skirt for the Writing Center.
Many colleges do not allow holiday decorations (in my case, complete with Bible verses on a few painted apples) to be displayed, so I’m heartened by the opportunity to share both holiday cheer and truth with students in this way.”
As you can see, Professors at Houghton celebrate Christmas in a variety of ways. However you choose to
celebrate, The Houghton STAR wishes you a joyous Christmas season and a wonderful New Year! ★
