The Interfraternity Council decided to move Christmas weekend to January 10 and 11, 2020. 

The head of the IFC Rexx Hallyburton, ‘20, said that it has been moved primarily to “avoid interfering with finals.” 

The new date will also serve as the social kickoff to the winter semester.

“Although it’s usually before Christmas, it’ll be a good way to ring in the new term and reunite after a few weeks of not seeing each other,” Will Reynolds, ‘21, said. 

Traditionally, Christmas weekend is held before the holiday break, after fall term finals. Thanksgiving falls late this year, which means there is only a week of school in between Thanksgiving and finals. Normally, there are two weeks. 

Mock Con Gala, which only happens every four years, occupied one of the weekends that would normally be free as an option for Christmas Weekend. 

Due to this term’s unorthodox schedule, the IFC Executive Council came to a consensus and agreed that Christmas Weekend should be moved to next semester. During their meeting on October 24, the members of the IFC decided to move it to the first weekend of winter semester.

President of Phi Kappa Psi Henry Trammell, ‘21, said the weekends preceding Thanksgiving weren’t considered by the IFC because the council thought the student body wouldn’t want to celebrate Christmas before Thanksgiving. 

“Even if we can’t do it before Christmas, it would be a shame to exclude it from the social calendar altogether,” Trammell said. “It’s a good excuse to dress up and have a good time.”

He added that although it may be strange to hold Christmas Weekend after the actual holiday, that the new date is close enough that students will still be in the holiday spirit. 

Sam Louman, ’21, disagreed. “Part of what makes Christmas weekend fun is the anticipation for the holidays. It’s just less exciting after the fact,” he said. 

Hallyburton said that fraternity presidents did not want to cancel the event and wished to “maintain the tradition of the weekend.” 

“There’s not a lot going on that time of year anyway,” Graham Kingwill, ‘22, said. “So it’ll be nice to have some left-over festivities.”

Mary Pace Lewis, ‘21, agreed. “Christmas is over, but it’s a really fun event, and I would hate to not have it all. Plus, it’ll make coming back to school more fun,” she said.

Hallyburton said that previous to the decision to move Christmas weekend, fraternity rush week had already been pushed to the week after classes start in the winter. Tear night for sororities and fraternities will be held on January 18. 

Kingwill said that Christmas Weekend is “an important weekend rush-wise for fraternities, so best keep it, even if it is after Christmas.”