Traditions

Student life at Yale College is steeped in many special traditions developed over the centuries.

Traditions

Student life at Yale College is steeped in many special traditions developed over the centuries.

YSO Halloween Concert

At midnight on Halloween, the Yale Symphony Orchestra (YSO) plays a soundtrack of student-arranged classical, pop, and film music to accompany a Yale-themed silent film created entirely by YSO members. Students pack Woolsey Hall for the occasion—every year, tickets sell out minutes after they become available!

The Game

The annual Harvard-Yale football game occurs on the first day of November Recess, hosted by Yale in odd-numbered years and by Harvard in even-numbered years. The two archrivals had their first contest in 1875. Since then, “The Game” has drawn legions of students and alumni from both schools every year. Even those who aren’t football fanatics can revel in the festive spirit and the abundance of social gatherings throughout the weekend of the game.

First-Year Day of Service and Dwight Hall Bazaar

There is a strong tradition of public service at Yale that extends to first-year students.  Every September, Dwight Hall at Yale organizes a Day of Service in the Greater New Haven community for first-year students.  This is an exciting opportunity to bond with other first-years while getting to know the New Haven community.  For the past several decades, Dwight Hall has also hosted a service Bazaar at the beginning of each term.  Students can speak with leaders from over 100 student-run and community-based service and justice organizations to discover the perfect fit for their social change passions.”

Holiday Dinner

On the last day of fall-term classes, every Yale College student is treated to a special dinner. On this dressy occasion, upper-level students dine in the residential colleges. Meanwhile, the first-years gather in Commons for an especially merry celebration featuring the famous Parade of Comestibles—a literal parade of gourmet foods ushered in by a fife and drum corps!

First-Year Dance

Every January, the First-Year Class Council hosts a giant dance for the entire first-year class in Commons. With your permission, your suitemates will set you up with a date, and you will learn your date’s identity the night of the dance through a creative scheme (for instance, you and your date may be given puzzle pieces that fit together and then instructed to find each other in a small crowd). 

Spring Fling

The day after spring-term classes conclude, students unwind at Spring Fling, a daylong celebration on Old Campus with lots of food and music. A variety of student bands perform, as do some of the nation’s most prominent artists. Previous guest artists have included Janelle Monáe, Macklemore, and A$AP Ferg

Class Day

For Yale College students, one of the most jubilant events of Commencement Weekend is Class Day. Dating to the 19th century, this ceremony takes place on Old Campus. Students wear academic gowns and creative headgear of their choice. The ceremony includes the awarding of various college-wide student prizes, an address by a notable speaker chosen with undergraduates’ input, and speeches and a film reflecting on the graduating class’s four years at Yale.