One of my favorite Wellesley traditions is…. Flower Sunday! If you don’t know, Flower Sunday is the oldest tradition here at Wellesley. Once a year on a Sunday in September, first-year students (littles) are paired with upperclassmen students (bigs); bigs give flower bouquets to littles, attend a multifaith ceremony at Houghton Chapel, and bond over brunch. Everyone dresses up nicely (extra points for floral-themed outfits) and takes photos together.
Flower Sunday was earlier this month, and I signed up to be a big. The Saturday before Flower Sunday, flowers are sold on campus, and I went to buy some for my little. This was my first time arranging a bouquet, but I think I did a decent job, and it was really fun to do!
Bouquet for my little
Sunday morning, I dressed up and gathered in my dorm living room with others. Bigs are assigned their littles ahead of time and know their littles’ names, but littles don’t know who their bigs are until they meet them on Flower Sunday. In my dorm, they gave us little slips of paper with pairings like “Sun” and “Moon” written on them so that bigs and littles could find each other. It was super cute and a fun way to meet my little there in the dorm.
My Flower Sunday outfit this year
Next, my little and I went to the multifaith ceremony in Houghton Chapel: with the background hum of rain falling outside, we listened to the school chaplains speak, student speakers give speeches, and performances by the Wellesley choir and Yanvalou Drum & Dance Ensemble, which performs the folkloric music and dance of the African diaspora.
Gorgeous stained glass in Houghton Chapel
Then finally was the brunch, arguably everyone’s favorite part. Dining halls serve special brunch with fresh berries, frittatas, waffles, french toast, etc. The line was so long in my dining hall that we waited forty minutes in line. Last year, we waited over an hour! The brunch was delicious though, and I thoroughly enjoyed it while talking with my little. We talked about classes, fun clubs at Wellesley, and our homes. Overall, it was an awesome Flower Sunday. I love this day because it’s a tradition where it feels like the whole school participates and dresses up and has an enjoyable time; it’s a great way to start the year with the community as a whole. My only regret is that I didn’t take more photos!
Last year’s Flower Sunday was great too, especially as a little. I met another first-year on Flower Sunday because we had the same big, and we’re still great friends now! Anyone reading who’s planning to attend Wellesley, I can’t wait for you to experience this heartfelt tradition.
Flower Sunday last year!
Thank you for reading, and enjoy the photos!