College Traditions
Bryn Mawr College's traditions help to make the student experience a special one, creating a sense of community that connects alumnae/i to the College for generations.
Explore our traditions.
Our traditions are more than entertaining, colorful spectacles that divert us from the intensity of our studies; they bring us together and bond us as Mawrters for life.
Parade Night
Celebrating a successful first week of classes.
At Parade Night, first-year students are showered in confetti and love by their peers through a night of delightful activities and surprises.
Offerings to Athena
Athena, the patron goddess of the College, plays a starring role in one of many Traditions (she's pictured with Philadelphia Eagles gear the year they won the Super Bowl). We make offerings to Athena for good luck, emotional help, remembrance of good times, and support through challenges.
Lantern Night
An academic welcome into the community.
At Lantern Night, first-year students receive a unique gift from the Bryn Mawr community - their very own lantern. Representing the light of knowledge, the keepsake is cherished among students and alumnae/i.
Class Pride
Every Mawrter receives a lantern of their class color: dark blue, green, light blue, or red, which represent the natural elements of water, air, fire, and earth. McBride (non-traditional) students receive a purple lantern, which represents the human spirit, and our graduate students receive a golden lantern during Lux Doctorum.
Welcome the First-Years Week
A reinvigorating class-bonding experience.
During Welcome the First-Years (WTF) Week, upperclass and first-year students come together in celebration. The cold Pennsylvania winter is cast aside for student performances, group activities, and a deepening of relationships between peers.
May Day
Medieval festivities to celebrate the end of classes.
On May Day, students, alumnae/i, faculty, and staff gather across campus to celebrate the end of the academic year and to congratulate the seniors before they leave campus. The day is filled with dancing, concerts, food, and festivities that evoke both the past and the future.
A close-knit community filled with...
Bell-ringing Owls Senior Row Garden Parties Moon Bench Superstitions Teas Customs Week Step Sings Convocation Reunions Owls Fest Performances Flowers Class Rounds May Hole Dancing Celebrations Hoop Racing Rock Arch Traditions Sibling Gifting
...and so much more!
Discover Bryn Mawr Beyond Traditions
All our traditions are student-led, with support from the Office of Student Engagement. Visit the Student Engagement website to learn more about student clubs, leadership opportunities, self-governance, and Bryn Mawr's extraordinary catalog of social, emotional, and cultural student experiences.