HOLIDAY TRADITIONS AT BARRY: FAITH, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
- Kymani Phillips
- Nov 10, 2025
- 2 min read
By Kymani Phillips
December means the start of many traditions, and Barry University's campus springs alive with lights, music, and celebration. For many students, though, the holidays are not about wish lists or time off from classes— they are a time to practice faith, observe family traditions, and be part of a community of people who celebrate Dominican Catholic heritage. From Christmas Eve Mass to Noche Buena, Feast of the Three Kings to service work, Barry students mark the season in ways that are as richly textured as they are deeply meaningful.
For so much of the Barry community, Christmas Eve Mass is the linchpin of holiday tradition.
Senior Treazure Diggins said, "Going to Mass here reminds me of why the holidays are so significant, it's not for presents, it's for faith."
On campus and attended by students, staff and local families, the Mass brings candlelight, hymns, and scripture readings together intimately and reflectively. A grounding experience as the semester closes, Dec. 24 is a time to take a break, give thanks, and celebrate the spiritual meaning of the season.
But holidays for students are observances beyond liturgical.
For Latin American and Caribbean students, Noche Buena—a festive Christmas Eve celebration—is practiced.
Usually centered on a dinner consisting of roasted pork, rice and beans, plantains, and sweets, "it's one of my favorite nights of the year,” said sophomore Benjamin Rodriguez.
“Even though we’re away from home, celebrating Noche Buena with friends here keeps my family traditions alive,” said Rodriguez, who is from Mexico.
Beyond the delicious food, the celebration reinforces the importance of togetherness, hospitality and gratitude, values central to both Dominican culture and
Barry’s mission.
Many students enjoy Secret Santa gift exchanges, each one favoring giving over receiving.
"It's the little things," said sophomore Marissa Christian. "A small
gift, a card, or an act of kindness.
It's what brings us together."
The holiday season extends into January with El Día de los Reyes Magos, otherwise known as the Feast of the Three Kings. On Jan. 6, students who celebrate the day remember the three Magi and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus.
"It's about being generous and recalling gifts that faith brings us," said junior Olivia Rodriguez.
Students exchange small gifts or have sweets in honor of the tradition. For others, it's a solemn reminder that the holidays are more about giving and adhering to faith rather than receiving.
Even the most simple-seeming traditions, such as the exchange of gifts between friends, hold spiritual significance. Gift-giving is an echo not only of the Magi's gifts but also of God's gift of love, and it reflects the love, gratitude, and generosity of those who give.
At Barry, the holidays are times of reflection and celebration, of service and remembrance. They remind one that spirituality is not confined to Sunday Masses
or acts of piety but also in the generosity of spirit and the joy of shared tradition. For all at Barry, the season is more than a school holiday; it is an observance of values, culture and the enduring power of faith.
The last line of this article sums it up well. "For all at Barry, the season is more than a school holiday; it is an observance of values, culture and the enduring power of faith." Traditions like these are a big part of what makes Barry a home-away-from-home for so many students. They are ingrained in the very fabric of the school and help give our campus that special, intangible feeling that this is a great place to be.