St. John's "Green" Christmas Tree Lighting and Fireworks Set for December 3

St. John’s University’s Student Government, Inc. has announced that the 2008 Winter Carnival has gone “Green.”  The annual celebration, coordinated by University students, will take place December 1-3 with the marquee event, the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Fireworks, scheduled for Wednesday, December 3 at 8 p.m. 

As the great tree in Rockefeller Center is lit in Manhattan on December 3, St. John’s University will be celebrating the holiday spirit with its own tree lighting ceremony at 8 p.m., done in “Green” style.  Rather than cut down and transport a new tree to campus for the tree lighting each year, Student Government, Inc., Class of 2008, purchased a plush 37-foot Norway Spruce tree that has been planted adjacent to the Great Lawn and will be used for the tree lighting ceremony each year from here on.  Keeping energy conservation in mind, this year’s tree will be adorned with 3,000 new high-efficiency LED lights which use 79 percent less electricity than comparable incandescent light sources. 

“We’re so proud of this gift from the Class of 2008,” said John Kelly, Vice President of Student Government, Inc.  “It was really a win-win situation for us to be able to continue our Christmas Tree Lighting tradition, but in a way that is better for our environment.  Not only will this tree help make our campus beautiful for years to come, but it helps us to continue moving toward our goal of reducing our carbon footprint.”

The Christmas Jazz Coffeehouse, scheduled for December 1 at 7 p.m. kicks off the Winter Carnival and will also serve as the official debut of the new Student Government Courtyard (located behind St. Vincent’s Hall).  Guests will be treated to a live Jazz band while warming up next to the plaza’s newly installed fire pit and enjoying Christmas snacks and desserts. 

The New York City Christmas experience comes to campus on Tuesday, December 2 when horse-drawn carriages will take riders around the Great Lawn for an up-close look at the holiday lights, and Cobblestone Carolers and Toy Soldiers will spread Christmas Cheer throughout campus. 

The grand finale of the Winter Carnival begins with the St. John’s Community Christmas Dinner where guests from the local community and students and staff from St. John the Baptist school in Brooklyn will join the University for a meal on Wednesday, December 3 at 5 p.m. in Montgoris Hall.  Following dinner, guests will gather for the Winter Carnival Mass in St. Thomas More Church to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas before heading out to the Great Lawn to watch a laser light show on the façade of St. Augustine Hall which is timed to the music of “The Carol of the Bells” and participate in the countdown before the flip is switched and the tree is illuminated for the first time.

Once the tree is lit the famed Grucci Company will light up the sky with a spectacular fireworks display. Following the show, guests are invited to the Red and White Community Dessert Party in Marillac Terrace for seasonal treats and a visit from Santa. 

For media inquiries only, please contact Elizabeth Reilly, Assistant Director of Media Relations, by calling (718) 990-5789 or by e-mail to reillye@stjohns.edu.  For more news about St. John's University, please visit www.stjohns.edu/news.