Traditions, Community, and Joy- these are the words that come to mind when describing Christmas Dinner at SSM. In 2024, Christmas Dinner took place on Thursday, Dec. 19..
Christmas Dinner is the night before everyone heads home for winter break, and it has been a tradition for many years to count. The students and staff still on campus dress up and prepare for an eventful night of good food, toasts, and festive music previewed by a harmonious chapel service in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd.
Mr. Patrick Schaefer, the SSM Upper School Director said the following about the upcoming event, “We have prom for juniors and seniors and we have Christmas Dinner. I think a lot of people, a lot of students, look forward to Christmas dinner, like kids that you know, local public school kids look forward to the homecoming parade and homecoming dances. It’s one thing that kind of sets our community apart.”
The night of Christmas Dinner consists of toasts and dinner. It begins in a beautiful chapel service with lots of singing of classic Christmas hymns. It then follows into many toasts on the sparkling apple cider filled champagne glasses followed by some delicious salmon or prime rib with potatoes. Some of the students who have attended SSM the longest shared some of our toasts this year, including Claire Ray ‘25, who led the prayer. She says, “The prayer is mostly written about the community of the school.” Demonstrating how everything on Christmas Dinner night is all about community and togetherness.
Apart from being something out of the ordinary, it is a highly recognized and prepared for event. Although it is not needed to find a new dress for the dinner, most people do and plan far in advance for it. Boys buying new ties and girls purchasing new dresses, nails and very fake tans for the dinner in the renowned dining hall. Bauer Ackerman ‘25, who has attended SSM for four years, shares her thoughts on Christmas Dinner, “I feel like it’s one night where the whole school can get together and all be together as a school community.”
Christmas Dinner is overall a fun and memorable night that most students look forward to at the end of December. It is a time of laughter and tradition that really brings the school together. The next big event after Christmas Dinner is Prom in May. This allows the joy and memories of Christmas Dinner to flow into break and those first few weeks back until everyone shifts their focus to the upcoming spring on campus.