The Student Government Association will host Litmas, its annual Christmas tree-lighting celebration, on Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Campus Mall.

The event will include free food, along with free mugs and hot chocolate for students. Litmas will also feature a performance by The National Parks. SGA president Tamil Adele said the team wants Litmas to bring back the meaning of joy and Christmas.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the full ACU community come together in a way that feels cozy, joyful and connected,” said Adele, a senior criminal justice major from Midland. “In recent years, I think many of us have felt that some of the sentiment and magic of Christmas has faded with this event, our hope was to help rekindle that sense of warmth, wonder and togetherness.”

Adele said that this year’s celebration might feel a little earlier than usual because of the calendar, but the timing doesn’t change the excitement surrounding the event.

“Students can expect a great concert, some fun free items and, most importantly, an environment intentionally designed for connection and fellowship,” she said.

She hopes students leave the event feeling refreshed and united.

“I hope students walk away remembering that the magic of Christmas is still very real if we allow ourselves to slow down, open our hearts and receive it,” Adele said.

SGA Chief of Staff Maddie Fridge said this semester has felt heavy for many students due to campus division, and she hopes Litmas will give the community a moment to breathe and reconnect.

“I had a lot of peers come into this semester not ready to rejoice, not ready to celebrate and not ready to take a breath in the home we have here at ACU,” said Fridge, senior child and family studies major from SugarLand. “I’m hoping it’s a time of recharge,“ Fridge said. “I’m hoping people see the thousands of students who come together every year over something as sweet and simple as Christmas and the birth of Christ.”

Fridge said she hopes Litmas will give people the chance to stop and see the community they have.

“Above all else, I hope people see the community around them and remember the joy of that,” Fridge said, “maybe even find the rest that comes from being together with people you.”

After weeks of preparation, Fridge and Adele said they’re both ready to see Litmas come together.

“As we’ve spent hours preparing this week, it has become easier to imagine what the night will look like, and I can’t wait to see it all unfold,” Fridge said.