Light ’em Up Liberty: Virtual Christmas in Lights celebration kicks off the season

Liberty University’s Student Activities Office officially ushered in the holiday season on Wednesday night with its annual Christmas in Lights celebration broadcast live from the Academic Lawn.

For an event that traditionally draws thousands of students to watch the Christmas tree lighting, sing Christmas carols, and enjoy refreshments, this year’s event may have looked a bit different. But the virtual format still succeeded in uniting the Liberty family for a celebration of Christ’s birth. The event was streamed live at 10:30 p.m. on the Student Activities’ Facebook page, where thousands of students, faculty, staff, and even alumni and parents were able to enjoy the festivities from afar. The full video is also now available on Student Activities’ website.

Viewers enjoyed music classics like “We Wish You A Merry Christmas,” “Rudolph,” and “Joy To The World,” performed by about 250 talented singers and musicians from the School of Music circled around the tree.

President Jerry Prevo delivered a pre-recorded message, and everyone counted down to the lighting of the Christmas tree.

“As we begin to approach the holiday season and students look ahead to finals, this event allowed us to join together as a Liberty family and celebrate the season of Christmas together,” said Student Activities Director Steph Ward. “I know we’re all disappointed that we couldn’t gather in one place, but I am confident that the spirit of the event extends far beyond the parameters of the lawn, as each one of us made this event the celebration that it is.”

Christmas in Lights has been a tradition on Liberty’s campus for over a decade. The first celebration in 2010 welcomed over 1,000 attendees, and that number has steadily grown with each Christmas season. Until this year, over 5,000 students, faculty, staff, and members of the public participated in the festive tradition.