Students, we’d like to introduce you to the spectacle of the boar as part of Reed’s alumni holiday party. On Saturday night, December 8, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the college will continue a tradition that has been going on since the 1920s. The elements really are quite simple: guests get all gussied up and enjoy a holiday feast. At the end of the meal, a bagpiper announces the arrival of the boar’s head procession.
Imagine 15 people wearing black hoods and robes, carrying a boar’s head and torches, and singing a song proclaiming their appreciation and adoration for the feast it provided—kind of a Charles Dickens meets Lord of the Flies thing! Check out historic footage on our ReediEnews Tumblr.
For your enjoyment Bon Appétit will offer students the same holiday entrée that alumni are receiving: prime rib or butternut squash ravioli. Then at 8 p.m., we invite you to gather in and around the Commons Café for a round of holiday desserts (compliments of Alumni & Parent Relations). The aforementioned bagpiper and boar’s head procession will make their hallowed appearance. Finally, from 8:15 until 11:30 p.m., The Pranksters, an 18-piece big band, will play swing music for all to enjoy in the S.U.
We hope that you are able to join us!
–Alumni & Parent Relations
P.S. We regret any inconvenience caused by the fact that the S.U. will be periodically unavailable during preparations for this event on Saturday. Thank you for your understanding.
