Â鶹ÊÓƵ

Regularly identified as a favorite tradition for our students, in early December the Â鶹ÊÓƵ community will gather together in celebration of the winter season. Stroll through this historic campus with thousands of luminaries illuminating the pathways and learn more about the shared imagery of light found in our religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural traditions. Hundreds of students, staff and faculty volunteers help set up this glorious evening and all are welcome to enjoy community, live music, hot chocolate, and fun! The Festival of Lights and Luminaries is put on by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and its campus partners.

The date for the 2026 Festival of Lights and Luminaries is Tuesday, December 1, 2026 (rain date is December 3, 2026).

Every year, Â鶹ÊÓƵ honors our generous donors of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ community through this honored tradition. Each luminary carries the name of a donor, exemplifying the light that they bring to our students. All are welcome to participate by making a donation.

If you are a parent or loved one of a current student, and you will have the opportunity to write a message to your student when you make your gift. If you wish to additionally join the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Society with your gift,

If you are a current student,  or give $10+ on (include your full name, class year and chosen designation). Seniors who make their gift will have a luminary with their name placed near the Senior Circle by Fonville Fountain and Alamance building.

If you are an alum or friend of Â鶹ÊÓƵ, please .

The deadline for giving is midnight on Nov. 13 EST. For planning purposes and to ensure a positive and fun experience for students, gifts cannot be accepted after this date. Thank you for understanding!

Thousands of luminaries will line the brick pathways of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s historic neighborhood. We will have staff and volunteers on site to help students navigate the luminaries to find their very own. There will be ample opportunity for them to take photos and more.

Luminaries made in honor of another person (including your senior student) will be located by West building, seniors that make their own gift will be located near Fonville Fountain in the Senior Circle (in front of Alamance building), and faculty/staff luminaries will be located in front of Alamance building as well.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ is happy to provide options for family members who want to recognize their graduating seniors! However, the opportunity to have a luminary placed at Senior Circle is meant to highlight the commitment of seniors who receive an excellent education at Â鶹ÊÓƵ and choose to pay that forward by making their own gift. For this reason, seniors themselves must make a personal gift in order to have their luminary placed at Senior Circle. Gifts made on behalf of seniors cannot be applied to the Senior Circle location. Thank you for understanding!

The Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life has organized the Festival of Lights and Luminaries for more than 30 years. The program has changed over time to reflect Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s increasingly diverse community to intentionally offer educational opportunities, and to bring delight, fun and the joy to our community.

Unfortunately, your student does not get to keep the luminary, but there is plenty of time during the event for photo ops. Â鶹ÊÓƵ reuses the luminaries each year for sustainability purposes and to ensure there is maximum impact for students from your donations.

Please contact Annual Giving or Parent Engagement via email, giving@elon.edu or parentengagement@elon.edu.

The more the merrier! Using the giving forms above, please indicate that you have multiple students to honor. You can enter the student name(s) and your message to be delivered to them the day of the event.