In 1918 the first call of students
at NJC asked if they might illuminate a tree and burn a Yule Log
in the foyer fireplace in College Hall for the winter holiday season.
On the last evening before vacation, they ceremoniously stood with
candles on the winding staircase by the fireplace and sang carols
while the Yule Log burned. Students conducted the moving ceremony
there for the next seven years.
In 1925 Voorhees Chapel was built. At the behest
of Mrs. Voorhees, who had seen the earlier ceremony, a fireplace
alongside the chancel (concealed behind closed doors) and a movable
staircase, which rises to the upper right transept, were included
in the construction so that Yule Log could be held there.
The ceremony today has the same look and spirit as
in the early years, while the songs and readings have expanded
to reflect our diverse community. Today, we celebrate "light" as
the common experience and guiding symbol in our cultures. |
