“On Friday, December 21, the Senior Class will hold its annual Christmas dance, or as it is better known, ‘The Senior Sleigh Ride.’ It will be a very gala affair, and the gym will be decorated with all the ornaments suitable for the Christmas season.” This announcement was posted in the December 1934 edition of The Clarion. As the Senior Class of 2012 prepares for its Holiday Dance at Macaluso’s on December 13, 2012, looking back through old editions of the school newspaper is an interesting way to see how this school tradition began and developed over the years.
Through the decades, the details of the holiday dance have undergone many incredible changes. It is unbelievable that a ticket, which is currently $75, was only $0.35 in 1935. What is now an elaborate dance held at Macaluso’s lavish catering hall, once was a simple event located in the school gym.
This tradition of dancing in the school gym apparently continued for a long time. An article in the 1948 Clarion says, “Yes, the Senior Class is planning the dance of the year, WINTER WONDERLAND. Of course we don’t have to tell you that no one misses the Christmas Dance come heck and high water. It just isn’t done. You will hardly recognize our gym when the decoration crews get through.”
Moving forward, the 1952 Clarion announced that the price would be $0.80 and would be “…packed with the best in fun and entertainment. You can float around the dance floor to the dreamy music of Jimmy Grimes from 8-12 while the decorations, although as yet top secret, will whirl you off to the land of romance.”
Jumping to 1985, senior student Brittaney Marsico’s mother, Suzanne, remembers the HHS Holiday Dance from her senior year. It was still held in the school gym and was themed “Christmas in the City.”
Although it is unclear exactly when the dance moved out of the school gym, a Clarion article from 2007 gives us some insight. “We will be served what is typical of Macaluso’s: fine Italian cuisine. We will dance away to the sound of our favorite music, most likely what is playing on z100 at the time.”
Apart from the location and price difference, many other interesting modifications have been made regarding the dance over the years. For instance, in the past, each year the dance had a new theme, such as the “Senior Sleigh Ride,” or “Winter Wonderland,” but was always “the Christmas Dance.” Today, the dance is called the “Holiday Dance” with no additional theme; it is always held in a banquet hall, and it is quite expensive.
After being informed on these changes, HHS student, Jessica Terrizzi commented, “It is really cool to learn about all the different changes the dance has gone through over the years. I was so surprised when I found out that a ticket used to be only $0.35!”
Despite the many alterations on the Holiday Dance throughout the years, it still remains one of Hawthorne High School’s greatest annual traditions. Though there have been price differences and location and name changes, this dance has continued to be an event that almost all students anticipate —or as they would say in 1948: “…no one misses the Christmas Dance come heck and high water.”