The weather was glorious for hiking — sunny, breezy, not too hot. All day the ubiquitous greeting echoed off the trees and rocky cliffs of Mount Holyoke: “Happy Mountain Day!” “Happy Mountain Day!”

“It’s like we created a holiday for ourselves,” said one student. “It’s something we all do together, as a community. Everyone is happy. It’s a nice break from classes!”

When you look closely at the College’s official emblem, do palm trees catch your eye? “Palm trees in South Hadley, Massachusetts?” you may wonder. “That’s curious.”

You know you’re a Mount Holyoke student when, as the spring semester nears to a close, you start getting excited for Pangynaskeia Day. By putting it on your calendar. Mentioning it on social media. Hoping for sunny skies and warm temps. Digging out a favorite lawn blanket. All perhaps to the initial puzzlement of those beyond the College’s gates.

“What’s … that? What do you mean? Where are you going?” asks your younger sibling or high school friend or parent.

“Oh, it’s just a spring thing!” you reply with a smile. That smile of knowing that at Mount Holyoke, a bevy of fascinating and slightly curious traditions continues with reckless abandon.

And so it begins: your story, your quest, your journey.

Propelled and amplified by our global community.
A sensational, all-senses-activated community.
An inclusive, forward-looking community steeped in tradition.

In February 2017, you may have spotted members of the Mount Holyoke College rowing team erging for 12 hours in Blanchard Campus Center. We’ll repeat again for emphasis: erging for 12 hours. Their goal was to row 400,000 meters — and to raise funds for both Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a South Hadley food bank, and their team’s March training trip to Clemson, South Carolina. They even offered free rowing lessons to other students.