Skip To Main Content

Christmas Activities 2025

December 5 - we will celebrate St. Nicholas Day!!

We make a pretty big deal on St. Nicholas Day, our unofficial opening of the Christmas season at GMA! We will be celebrating the feast of St. Nicholas on Friday, December 5th, with a prayer service, tree trimming, and Christmas caroling. 

  • December 5th will be a Christmas Dress Down Day, and in the spirit of St. Nicholas giving, a $2 donation per student will be collected to help fund the St. Vincent Christmas project. 
  • Families are also invited to bring some warmth to the children at St. Vincent's Parish and Mercy Neighborhood Ministries by bringing in a pair of new, child-sized mittens for the little children of those missions. 
  • In the afternoon, we will have a brief prayer service honoring St. Nicholas and blessing our Gwynedd-Mercy Family Christmas Tree.  
  • Students are invited to place one ornament per family on the tree.  
    • Please designate the child in your family who will bring the ornament to school. 
    • Ornaments may be home-made or store-bought.  Please do not send in special, family ornaments.  We do our very best, but sometimes ornaments get lost or broken.
    • Ornaments should be lightweight, have your family name marked or attached, along with the child's homeroom. (i.e., 1G)
    • The ornaments will be returned to you by the last school day before the holiday.
  • When the tree is fully decorated, we participate in Christmas carols and hope for a special guest to arrive!
  • GMA Parents Org presents the GMA Christmas Mercy Mart—a kids-only shopping experience made possible with the help of our parent “elves.” Students can shop for small gifts (including GMA exclusives!) using cash or checks made out to GMA.
  • Mercy Mart Catalog and Shopping List:

Poinsettia Sale Closed: Pickup in the Gallery on December 15 and 16 from 3:30–5:30 PM.  GMA Student Council Poinsettia Sale — Supporting the St. Vincent’s Project!  Spread Christmas cheer and help our Student Council make a difference! Beautiful, locally grown poinsettias in 8-inch pots (with 12–18 blooms) are available in Red, White, or Pink. All proceeds will support the St. Vincent’s Project, bringing joy and holiday blessings to families in need this Christmas season.  

Gwynedd-Mercy Academy’s Barnes and Noble Night will take place Thursday December 4 from 5:30-7:30 PM. Please join us for some special mystery readers and a craft. There may even be a special Mercy drink treat available for for purchase. Barnes and Noble will provide a Book Fair code for our school that will take place in store for 3 days and online for one week beginning at the event. Book fair details will follow up closer to the event. Please register for Barnes and Noble Night by clicking this link by Monday November 24.

Ambler's Holiday Parade is December 6!  All K–8 students are welcome to join us as we spread some Christmas Mercy spirit through Ambler. Parade sign-up is required so we can ensure enough faculty supervision. Already have a hoodie from a previous year? You’re good to go. If your child doesn't have a parade hoodie, but would like to participate, gently used hoodies may be available - click here to check with Mrs. Miller.  Click here to sign up for the parade!

Two Upcoming Dine & Donate Events will support the St.. Vincent’s Christmas Project! Be sure to mention Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary at checkout!

  1. Goodness Bowls — Sunday, November 30  from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM- 832 N. Bethlehem Pike - Top off your weekend with a delicious bowl, smoothie, or healthy snack while supporting a wonderful cause.
  2. Jules Thin Crust Pizza — Thursday, December 4 from 3:00-8:00 PM - 1460 Bethlehem Pike - Make dinner easy before or after Barnes & Noble Night and support the St. Vincent’s Project at the same time.

In support of the 7th and 8th grades' St. Vincent's Christmas Project, the National Junior Honor Society will be holding two more Friday pretzel sales! They will be on November 21st and December 5th! Be sure to order your pretzel soon using this order form! 

Looking for holiday fun (and a little extra help during the busy season)?  Grades K–5 students are invited to join Mrs. Pirolli and Mr. Coradi for Holi-DAZE on December 22, 23, 29, and 30—four festive days of crafts, games, music, and plenty of holiday cheer from 8:00 AM–3:00 PM!  This special Holi-DAZE Child Care Service is designed to support our families during this wonderfully busy time of year. If you're planning to participate, we encourage you to register by November 25 so our team can plan accordingly for a great experience.  Click here to learn more!

Join us as we celebrate 8 Days of Christmas at GMA beginning on December 10! Every day brings a small Christmas moment to brighten the season—whether it’s wearing a cozy Christmas sweater, spreading cheer with a holiday hat, supporting our “Cans of Kindness” food pantry drive, or gathering in prayer at the Christmas Family Prayer Service.

Kindergarten will host its Gingerbread House activity on December 12 - more information will be coming from Mrs. Carlin and Mrs. Ho.

RSVP for our Christmas Family Prayer Service on December 17 at 6:30 PM! Join us for a joyful celebration of the Christmas season as our 1st graders present “A Great Day in Bethlehem” and our 8th graders present the Live Nativity.

College and High School Alumni Visit Day will be December 19 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM!  Graduates are invited to visit the school, check in on their old teachers, and grab a slice or two of pizza - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Click here to RSVP!

Come Christmas caroling with us! (This event is now filled) GMA families bring holiday cheer to the senior residents at Spring House Estates on Tuesday, December 10 after school. Children must be accompanied by their parent(s) to the caroling who must meet on the Greentop at 4:15 PM. All parents must have their full clearances on file with the main office to participate. This event is limited to 30 families.