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Simmons College Traditions . . .
Then and Now

OLDE ENGLISH DINNER

The tradition of a Christmas party at Simmons College dates back to at least 1910. It is unclear what sort of revelries ensued at these parties between 1910 and 1912, since the documentation of the parties for these years is limited to cryptic notes in the calendar of events in the Microcosm. The first detailed description appears in the 1914 Microcosm. It states:

While dinner was being served Santa Claus and a bountiful Christmas tree caused much merriment and the carols which were sung underneath the windows proved to be a most pleasing innovation for those within doors.

There was also some other musical or dramatic entertainment, the exact nature of which is unclear.

The following year (December 1914) saw the first in a long line of old English style dinners. In these events, the Refectory, now Alumnae Hall, was decked out with wreaths and lit only with candles. Students, faculty, and even corporation members dressed up in medieval (in later years, 16th century) costumes and ate a dinner, using only knives, that included a roast pig and a flaming Christmas pudding.

At these festivities, the members of the Student Government, seated on the stage, took the part of the nobles, while everyone else represented the lesser nobility or the commoners. Entertainment was provided by jesters and carolers, and at the end of the meal, a series of short plays. In 1921, a skit of the story of Saint George and the Dragon was performed and became the traditional play of the Olde English Dinner from then on.

The Olde English Dinner continued as a tradition until December 1969, when it was replaced "with a Christmas Sherry Party." There are four yearbooks in which no mention of the Olde English Dinner is found: 1918,1919 and 1920. It is unclear if this was due to an oversight or whether it was suspended due to war time economic conditions.

 

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Page updated: June 27, 2006