CAMBRIDGE, MA-Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, Mass Poetry, The Harvard Square Business Association, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Cambridge Office for Tourism welcome you to Let Hope Ring: Holidays in Harvard Square. These free, outdoor events celebrate community, encourage help for those in need, and give hope for brighter days ahead.
Let Hope Ring Holiday Gathering Family Event
Saturday, December 11
11:00am - 2:30pm
Harvard Square Poetry Stroll
Saturday, December 11 - Sunday, January 2nd
The Harvard Square Holiday Poetry Stroll returns December 11 through January 2. Designed to be safe and self-guided, this approximately one-hour walking tour around Harvard Square highlights contemporary local poets and is curated on the theme of hope by Mass Poetry and Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters. The tour will also feature window art on storefronts in Harvard Square and poetry ornament keepsakes decorating trees in Brattle Plaza.
Giving Tree Celebration
Saturday, December 11
3:00 PM-4:00 PM on Brattle Plaza (31 Brattle St.)
The Harvard Square Business Association (HSBA) members and friends are generously donating hats, gloves, socks, mittens, t-shirts, and scarves. These items will be placed in water-tight zipper bags along with candy canes, chocolates and treats and will be hung on the Holiday Giving Tree. Please bring your own items similarly packaged, or come and help us place ours. People are encouraged to take what they need.
To kick off the installation of the Giving Tree, The Boys of the St. Paul’s Choir School will perform joyous hymns and songs. Complimentary hot chocolate and yummy cookies for those attending and for passersby will be served by HSBA staff.
Bell Ringing
Saturday, December 11 & Thursday, December 23
During one of the darkest moments in American history, the Civil War, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow heard hope ring in the winter air and wrote a poem, “Christmas Bells." This year, the churches of Harvard Square hope to spread a message of hope and resilience by ringing their bells in unison at 3:00 PM on December 11 and 23.
Sacred Spaces and Good Works
December 11 - December 23
In 2020, the HSBA produced a series of 13 videos highlighting our faith-based community and the historically significant buildings that house them. We will be re-releasing these videos, one per day for 13 days. These videos feature narration by Kevin Tyler, a then-unhoused gentleman, and music composed and performed by Cal DiGiovanni, a 14-year-old Harvard Square street performer.
December 11th 1632 The First Parish in Cambridge, UU
December 12th 1633 First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
December 13th 1744 Memorial Church of Harvard University
December 14th 1759 Christ Church
December 15th 1844 Old Cambridge Baptist Church
December 16th 1870 The Society of Saint John the Evangelist
December 17th 1873 St. Paul Parish
December 18th 1901 Swedenborg Chapel
December 19th 1928 University Lutheran Church
December 20th 1930 First Church of Christ, Scientist, Cambridge
December 21st 1941 Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church
December 22nd 1961 Holy Trinity Armenian Church
December 23rd 2003 Outdoor Church
Tags: holiday winteractivities literature
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
