When is it too early for a BC Christmas?

During the special time of year when the snow starts falling and the cocoa starts flowing, it's apparent that Christmas is just around the corner. In the past few years, the Christmas decorations at Boston College have started to emerge while the autumn leaves are still falling. This year, the Christmas spirit has arrived even before winter's chill.

In Mod 11B, John Dobrowski and his roommates have already begun emulating Chevy Chase's Clark Griswald. "We only have a little time before we leave for Christmas [break], so we have to get it going early," said Dobrowski, CSOM '08.

Strings of colored lights, a few hundred paper snowflakes, and a plastic Santa Claus are just some of the sights you will see around the Heights, especially Lower Campus, in the upcoming weeks. School buildings may not be decorated, but students have taken it upon themselves to bring the spirit of Christmas to the BC campuses.

Down Mod Road, in 3B, Caitlin Joyce, and her roommates feel similar Christmas joy, but they also feel the spirit of American competition. "We're taking them on," said Joyce, A&S '08. "We had our lights up first, then 'Bright Nights' entered the Mods. We never walked that way, so we were shocked when we heard about it." Impressed though she was by the lighting in Mod 11, Joyce's roommate Bradie Dwyer, A&S '08, has no plans to concede the Christmas title. "[Mod] 11B's a little cheesy, to be honest," Dwyer said. "First we have to get our 8-foot Santa, then we'll catch up."

Of course, Dwyer and her fellow seniors leave early in December, leaving little time for Christmas celebration. The few weeks to spare between the days off for Thanksgiving and before exams are barely enough time to squeeze in a round of Secret Santa with friends. In Mod 11B, Dobrowksi and friends found a charming way to organize the time they have: the Mod 11B Christmas calendar. In reality, it is just a piece of large, white posterboard, precisely sketched on with colored pencil and filled in with a different fun holiday activity for each day leading up to the group's departure for winter break. But the calendar is actually a work of art, a shining beacon of hope in the fast-paced and mundane routine both students and professors share daily. Highlights of the Christmas calendar include the "Tacky Sweater Party" on Nov. 30 and an Advent Brunch. Patrick Donlon, CSOM '08, has experienced Advent Brunch for four years in a row. Likewise, it's his fourth gift exchange in Mod 11's personal round of Secret Santa. The Mod members elect a different Christmas-related movie for every evening on the calendar, including classics such as National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. The Mod is also scheduled to see the brand-new film Fred Claus as a group outing.

Many seniors have yet to begin their decorating, but are champing at the bit to begin their festivities. Brendan Gray, A&S '08, and his Mod-mates have been scouting out an 8-foot penguin Santa, and are eagerly awaiting the day it arrives. Gray and his friends have always adorned their living space with Christmas decorations, but they feel the urgency this year especially. "It's our last year here so we just wanted to do it up, because this is the last year we can," Gray said. "And it looks cool in the Mods, too, so I think that's why we're so much more inspired this year."

The Christmas spirit has already inspired Dobrowski's roommates Donlon and Brendan Kelleher, A&S '08, to begin their annual Christmas film, "Pat and I make a Christmas video every year. Just like a happy, funny Christmas movie. We made one not knowing there would be such a high demand for it; now we have to make it every year," Kelleher said. After thoughtful consideration of the movies' success, Kelleher decided that "it's pretty hard thinking of Christmas movies that don't already exist, so the plots are pretty simple. Usually we try to save Christmas for someone. It always involves "feetie pajamas." Though they claim that they do not believe in Santa anymore, they stand by "what Santa represents in terms of giving, which is the true meaning of Christmas," Donlon said.

While Mod 11B may take a silly, laid-back approach to the celebration of the winter holidays, they are quite serious about the idea and the act of giving. Roommate Chris Accetta, CSOM '08, claims they "had the best Halloween decorations in the Mods," and mentions that they even had real trick-or-treaters pay them a candy visit. Accetta also emphasized that he's "going to be spreading and sharing the Christmas cheer." The idea of sharing even encompasses their housing, from which they claim to have dropped the letters A and B to leave simply "Mod 11" in the front yard, which is covered with a plethora of lights and plastic, light-up figurines from the Holy Manger and the North Pole. The seniors set up all their festive decorations so far in one day, but still have much more to come that will bring joy and laughter to all others who look upon it.

For Dolan, there is more to Christmas than the materialism on display in department store windows. "It's about reading cards, not opening presents," Dolan said.

Nonetheless, with a growing number of rooms - from Mods to RA singles - putting up holiday lights, it seems that campus is beginning to feel the pressure of the holiday season. "They're already playing Christmas songs in the weight room," said Monica Chase, A&S '11.

And while not all BC students celebrate Christmas, as we come closer and closer to the holiday season, it looks like BC students are catching green and scarlet fever.