And Now, a Journey Through Princeton’s Time-Honored Traditions

Old Nassau’s social fabric is built on tradition — rituals and practices passed down from year to year, 280 times and counting. Traditions like the P-rade, the bonfire, and Lawnparties are well documented. Dig a little deeper, and you will find the bygone days of the Nude Olympics, the bell clapper theft, and the flour picture. Dig even more, and you’ll arrive at the true B-sides and deep cuts of Princeton traditions.

For example, what do Ephraim di Kahble ’39 and Joseph David Oznot ’68 have in common? They don’t exist.

This unlikely pair joins a select group of fabricated Princetonians. Five freshmen invented di Kahble as a prank, rented and decorated a room at 36 University Place to serve as his dorm, ran ads in The Daily Princetonian under his name, and even tried to get him elected as class treasurer. His name appeared on Chapel attendance cards, and the registrar received exam grades for him in several courses.

For Oznot, four scheming sophomores fabricated a complete applicant profile, took the College Board exams in his name, then had a Columbia student sit for his interview in a three-piece suit — and was accepted! To this day, Oznot appears in Class Notes, with alumni reporting on his fictional exploits in PAW.

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During every Dean’s Date, the Whitman Wail and the Holder Howl can still be heard at midnight. Perhaps it releases stress, perhaps it doesn’t, but perhaps no one cares. This present-day tradition was actually preceded by a more intense ritual called the Poler’s Recess, which began around 1900 and lasted until World War II. (“Polers” were students who spent too much time with their noses in the books.) Every night during finals season, when the 9 p.m. bell rang across campus, their less studious peers would respond with 10 minutes of chaos — blanks shot from pistols and lots of noise from firecrackers, drums, and pans.

Another lost tradition comes from the heyday of pipe smoking in the 20th century, when graduating Princetonians savored long clay tobacco pipes on Class Day. Princetonians shared this practice with other East Coast colleges, including Ivy League counterparts. At the end of the ceremony, Princetonians smashed their clay pipes on the big cannon behind Nassau Hall, a symbolic end to their college journey.

The beer jacket is perhaps the most well-known Princeton tradition. Over the years, it has undergone numerous iterations; originally, it protected sweaters and blazers from beer stains when seniors frequented the Nassau Inn. (Avoiding dry-cleaning costs meant more visits to the pub, of course.) The jacket has since become a souvenir that each graduating class designs and receives.

Most Princetonians, however, are oblivious to the broader appeal of the humble beer jacket. True vintage beer jackets fetch up to thousands on eBay, making them a gem for collectors of Americana fashion. Human Made, a Japanese fashion label founded by designer NIGO, sold a familiar jacket in black and orange called the “Reunion Jacket.” Surely this isn’t a coincidence. All this is part of the wider world’s fascination with Ivy League fashion from a bygone era. J. Press’ most recent collection, featuring a sweater with the recognizable orange and black, is based on a 1965 photobook featuring the preppy campus styles across the Ivy League.

As 25,000 alumni make the pilgrimage back to the Orange Bubble for this year’s Reunions, keep a keen eye out for the rituals and traditions that give this place its character. Some traditions have survived, others have evolved, and some have disappeared. Yet all of them, in their own way, leave a mark on campus.