Mount Holyoke College was founded by Mary Lyon in 1837 and its Mountain Day tradition started a year later. The actual date of Mountain Day remains a mystery until 7 a.m. on the appointed day. The college bells ring for five minutes. Classes are cancelled and the library closes. In recent years, social media, including tweets and texts, has also spread the news. This year, it’s a late Mountain Day, October 17, but my guess, from my perch in the middle of the midwest, is that the leaves are in their colorful glory, it’s a crisp fall day, and the sky is a brilliant Tiffany blue.
Lynn Pasquerella, the college’s 18th President and a MHC alumna, greets the students who trek to the top of Mount Holyoke. Ice cream awaits those who make the climb.
Smith College, another of the Seven Sister Colleges, also has a Mountain Day tradition. Smith’s first Mountain Day took place in 1877. Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire, also has a Mountain Day tradition dating to the 1850s. In 1896, Juanita College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania started its Mountain Day. Williams College, which began as an all-male institution, has nearby Mount Greylock and its Mountain Day has been celebrated since the 1900s.
