Elon University’s Festival of Lights and Luminaries took place on Dec. 4 and was hosted by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. Luminaries lit up Elon’s campus as students walked around and enjoyed the night.
This event has been around for more than 30 years, however this is the fourth year it is called Lights and Luminaries. The festival started incorporating themes in 2020 with each year being a new theme. This year it was, “Many Lights on One Night.”
Hillary Zaken, the director of multifaith programming and engagement for the Truitt Center said the center always wants to have a theme that focuses on light.
“This year the festival is bigger than ever, so the theme represents how all the small lights that each of us bring create one larger light on campus,” Zaken said.
Zaken said as the event expands more clubs and organizations are formed that represent the different spiritual and cultural worldview traditions represented on campus.
“We want people as they’re walking through this event to understand the true diversity of our campus community,” Zaken said.
It is the first year the festival included a Pagan life table where students could celebrate Yule, a winter solstice night which represents the return of light and warmth. It is the second year the Asian Pacific Student Association has had floating lanterns in Fonville Fountain, in front of the Alamance Building.
“It’s absolutely beautiful to walk through the paths of the historic neighborhood and then come into that area in front of Alamance and see those same lights floating in the fountain,” Zaken said. “It's a wonderful celebration of our Asian Pacific students and a wonderful gathering spot to share in those traditions.”
Kirstin Boswell, university chaplain and dean of multifaith engagement is the chair of the overall planning team for the event.
Boswell said they started incorporating the language booths in 2022, however this year the team has fully integrated them into the festival, which has brought in even more student organizations to the festival.
Each table had a way for students to participate in their culture or faith whether it was through an activity, food or gifts.
Elon freshman and member of Surtal, Elon’s Bollywood dance team Priyal Sanathra said she believes it’s hard for her culture to be represented on campus because their student population is small, however the festival brings everyone together.
“We just want to educate with something related to light,” Sanathra said.
Elon senior and Co-President of Hillel, the student run organization for Jewish life on campus, Benji Stern said he hopes people get a little taste of what Hanukkah, an eight day Jewish celebration, is about and come away having a good experience.
Not only does the festival help people learn something new, but it enforces a sense of community, Zaken said.
Elon junior Viha Patel said this is her third year attending the festival and she loves coming out and seeing people from across campus.
“It’s so fun having everyone from the school here. I’m seeing people from my class, and I think that stood out the most just that community,” Patel said.
Lael Taylor, an Elon freshman, said it’s nice seeing events like this bring people together.
“It’s so cool, this is the happiest I think I’ve seen so many people,” Taylor said. “It’s very cute, It’s very homey, It’s nice to be away from home but still have the same vibes here.”
Zaken said the event isn’t only for the students on campus. Members of the town of Elon come out and alumni come back to witness the sense of community throughout the evening.
“All of us find meaning in light in these darker months and it’s just one way to show that there are many more similarities among us than there are differences, while still highlighting the diversity of our community,” Zaken said.
Managing Editor of The Pendulum Sarah T. Moore serves on the Festival of Lights and Luminaries planning committee.