Celebrate a Wellesley tradition
The rolling of hoops. The singing of class songs (VERY loudly). The giving of flowers from one generation to the next.
Wellesley has changed a lot since many of these traditions were first celebrated. The oldest, Flower Sunday, dates all the way back to 1875. Each generation puts its own mark on these events.
Explore Wellesley's Traditions
Hooprolling at Wellesley dates all the way back to 1885. Before it became a *highly* competitive race, it started as a way for students to blow off steam at the end of the year.
The race begins bright and early on a Saturday morning. Younger students camp out on Tupelo Lane to save a spot for their friends competing in the race.
Seniors, dressed in their graduation robes and class colors, race down Tupelo Lane.
The winner has the honor of being thrown into Lake Waban and is proclaimed to become the first in her class to achieve success and happiness however she may define it.
Each incoming class is assigned a color: red, green, purple, or yellow. Blue was one of the class colors until it was replaced with green (after blue became the college's official color in 1953).
On the last day of classes, seniors decorate the campus with their class colors.
And at reunion, alums return to campus decked out in their class color and ready to catch up with their Wellesley classmates.
Stepsinging began over 100 years ago when Houghton Chapel was built. Students began to gather at the steps and a new tradition was born.
Each year, stepsinging and a Champagne toast to seniors mark the last day of classes.
Each class dresses in their respective colors —red, yellow, purple or green— and try to out-sing and out-cheer each other.
Students sing from the Wellesley Song Book that includes“America the Beautiful” (lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates, class of 1880).
The Boston Marathon got its start way back in 1897. During the first race, students cheered on a runner they knew from Harvard. This grew into a tradition now known as the Scream Tunnel.
Students cheer on runners and offer high-fives, hugs and kisses of support.
The scream tunnel is so loud, some runners say they can hear the cheering from a mile away.
Wellesley students make signs to encourage Marathon runners. Friends and family of the runners can even submit requests for signs online.
Each fall, Wellesley’s sophomore class plants a tree. There’s one for each class — going all the way back to the first class in 1879.
The ceremonial Tree Day spade is used to plant the tree each year.
At the end of the ceremony, students write messages and wishes on small notes of paper, and tie them to the tree.
Wellesley’s snowy winters lend themselves to “traying” (speeding down Severance Hill using a dining hall tray as a makeshift sled).
The tradition dates to at least the 1920s. No one knows exactly when it started, but this photo from 1925 shows that it’s been around for quite a while!
Today, most Wellesley dining halls no longer use trays (as a way to save water), so students use actual sleds or snow tubes to continue the “traying” tradition.
Winter hijinks, we love you.
Flower Sunday claims the honor of being the oldest and longest-surviving tradition at Wellesley.
For many new students, the first Sunday away from home can bring about a bit of homesickness. Flower Sunday got started as a way to celebrate sisterhood and kick off the new school year.
Each fall, new students are matched with a Wellesley big sister. At Flower Sunday, big sisters bring bouquets of flowers to their “littles” as an official welcome to Wellesley.
It’s held each year in September and features multicultural and multifaith song, music, poetry and dance.
Lake Day is the perfect way for students to take a break from studying and let loose for an unexpected day of fun.
Each year, the date of Lake Day is kept TOP SECRET until the night before when an invitation goes out to the Wellesley community.
Lake Day takes on a different theme each year — everything from Game of Thrones to Alice and Wonderland to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
A student group, the Schneider Board of Governors (SBOG), hosts this celebration. There's fried dough, carnival food, fun games, and inflatables.
