NCV Christmas Service

Some of the residents who attended

The 2011 NCV Christmas Service was held in the Main Common Room on Monday 12th December. This provided an opportunity for residents to gather and consider the meaning behind the Christmas season. The Master of New College and New College Village, Prof. Trevor Cairney, spoke on Luke 19:1-10, not a passage which people regularly associate with Christmas but one that speaks directly to the reason for Jesus’ earthly ministry . Trevor drew some important conclusions from the passage, challenging residents to look beyond the Christmas narrative and instead to consider the person of Jesus and the claims that he made.

The Master adds the star to the tree

During the service the Dean of NCV, Dr John Quinn, also gave some historical background to the traditions around Christmas time: the use of conifers as Christmas trees, the tradition of decorating trees with baubles and lights, and the origin of the term “carol” to describe Christmas songs. NCV’s always-able musicians led the residents in some well-known Christmas carols: “Silent Night”, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, “Once in Royal David’s City”, “O Holy Night”, “Joy To The World” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”. To finish the evening residents joined together in decorating the NCV Christmas Tree and enjoyed some traditional Christmas food: pannetone, Christmas cake, and fruit mince pies. Two residents, Tim Amos and Laura Sharpe brought along a most impressive gingerbread house which they had made to share. It was an impressive structure, and delicious, too! As always, the NCV Christmas Service was a great way to start the holiday season with the NCV family!

NCV Christmas Service

Christmas Day at the NCV

Because the New College Village was established as a postgraduate community, and the majority of residents are overseas students, many don't leave over the traditional Christmas period.

This year over 100 residents were still around for some of the Christmas period.  As a result, the residents organised a Christmas BBQ on the Rooftop Terrace.

Over 30 residents came along to enjoy the company of others on Christmas Day (25th December), to share good food and to celebrate. 

It was a wonderful time for people to enjoy wonderful warm, weather and sunshine without the pressure of classes. Residents shared food and helped to cook meat on the BBQ - Aussie style!

Summer is such a wonderful time at the NCV with plenty of oppretunities to enjoy the local beaches, big events like the New Year's Eve fireworks and the Festival of Sydney that runs through most of January.

Fireworks New Year's Eve 2011 (Sydney Harbour Bridge)

Christmas Day at the NCV

NCV Christmas Aussie BBQ

Because the NCV is mainly for postgraduate students the building is never without residents or staff. In this our first year, over 60 residents were still in the building over Christmas. As a result Carmen and I hosted a Christmas BBQ in the main Common Room for those who were still here and weren't sharing the day with relatives or friends in Australia.

We had a fairly typical Aussie lunch:

• Halal steak (this isn't typically Australian, but NCV has some Muslim residents so we always cater with Halal meat), lamb, chicken, and beef sausages
• Great salads (some Cairney specials - thanks Carmen!)
• Aussie Pavlova (made by Carmen) and traditional Christmas pudding cooked by Trevor and his daughter Louise (a family tradition)

We had about 25 who turned up for lunch and it was a very special time together.

Above: Carmen's Aussie Pavlova and traditional English Pudding (on the side)

We hope that every friend of New College as well as alumni and current residents have a lovely Christmas and New Year.

NCV Christmas Aussie BBQ

Christmas Carols at NCV

Above: Mark & Patrick enjoying the carols

On Monday night residents of NCV shared in a traditional Christmas Carols service in the Main Common Room. Residents gathered to sing traditional songs, hear Bible passages read that tell the Christmas story, hear a brief message from the Master, decorate the NCV Christmas tree then share hot pancakes and maple syrup cooked on the BBQ.

This was a wonderful night enjoyed by people of all the many faiths represented in the building as well as some who hold to no faith position. Just another example of what a wonderful community life we have at the NCV.

Above: The music team leading us in carol singing

Above: Sue and Lauren decorating the tree

Above: Some of the guys decorating the tree and sharing a pancake (cooked by the Master)

Above: One resident's decoration (Christmas always points to Easter)

Christmas Carols at NCV