Christmas Tree in the IRC Foyer on campus
It is 5:00 PM. You walk out of language class and it’s already pitch dark outside. You scuffle back to your room, fighting the merciless cold wind. Finals and lab report deadlines are looming and the urge to pack up and go back home for holidays is very strong. This pretty much sums up wintertime in Bremen. But there’s some more to this season than the burdening gloom I just described. December in Bremen also brings with it the holiday spirit to Jacobs University, in the form of loads of chocolates, fairy lights, Christmas trees and very dedicated College Office teams in every residential building.
During a time where winter blues and stress can take a toll on our well-being, an abundance of cheer-ups and campus-wide events gives us the perfect opportunity to get out of our rooms, decompress and socialise.
The 12 days of Kruppmas, for example, appoints ‘elves’ who supply chocolates to Kruppies every day of the occasion. The holiday themed cheer-ups make students leave the quiet study area and socialise over warmth and hot chocolate. On Nikolaustag – a day that remembers the death of Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of children, sailors, merchants and students and known for giving gifts secretly – everyone wakes up to find a chocolate and a little note of motivation from the College Office at their doorstep. No matter how old and how tough we all grow, we all love surprises, don’t we?
J-Capella Christmas Concert
The Annual Winter Reception, held in the IRC Foyer, brings students, faculty and staff together for casual festive banter over good, free food and plenty of drinks. There’s also the ‘sold-out’ Christmas Concert organised by the J-Capella choir – ninety minutes of relaxing to melodious Christmas music and indulging in Glühwein. The Nordmetall Christmas Market brings the spirit of the Christmas Market in Bremen to our very own campus. An opportunity to stroll the food and gift stalls with friends while swaying to live music and roasting marshmallows over a bonfire, this little market in the Nordmetall College servery is a simple and elegant way to spend an evening.
If these events and a supply of unlimited snacks (or ‘Brain food’, as Apetito would call it) and Glühwein isn’t enough, the Make-A-Wish campaign, organised by the Rotaract Club happens during this time of the year too. Go to any Christmas tree on campus in the first two weeks in December and you would find little handwritten cards hanging from the branches, like decoration. These cards are written by children wishing for a toy they’ve yearned for. Students are encouraged to take a card, buy the toy and drop it off at the porters before a deadline – to make a child happy. In the depth of winter, there is nothing more heart-warming than giving presents and receiving smiles in return.
Bonfire at the Nordmetall Christmas Market
For those living on campus during the winter break as well, the university organises a formal dinner, vouchers for which are available in the serveries all month. It’s a chance to celebrate and have a good time away from home, but still in the safety and warmth of the university.
Finally, there’s the glorious coffee bar – everyone’s favourite location on campus. Up until the third week of December, the coffee bar is decorated with ribbons, lights, wall décor and every little trinket one can find, adding to the festive feeling that takes over the campus. Joana and team are of course, there to add a smile to all of our faces. It really makes your day when you walk into the coffee bar and they know your regular orders.
They say December is the most beautiful time of the year and although the frigid weather disagrees, the Jacobs community reinforces this belief. It is tough to get by during this season because after a long semester, we really just want to take a break and everybody – from our friends to supervisors to the Resident Mentors – knows that. But the holiday spirit, decked with love and brought by the community, for the community is the aesthetic breather we all need. Perhaps, we ought to take out more time to thank everyone around us for keeping our morale high and the holiday sparkle alive. Happy Holidays!
BY USHASHI BASU (INDIA) | CLASS OF 2020
