Timeless Traditions: Jericho’s Senior Spirit

By SASHA SAVEL ’26, ELLA WEBB ’26, OLIVIA ROBBINS ’26

Jericho’s seniors have been showing up to school at 5:45 in the morning in painted cars, wearing colorful backpacks made for kids. No, these are not jokes…they’re senior traditions! Each year, the graduating class bonds over unique rituals that celebrate the end of their 4-year high school journey. These traditions didn’t start with the Class of 2026; they’ve been passed down year after year, becoming pivotal to the senior year experience. 

Car decorating, one of the most well-known senior traditions, occurs when friends gather with paint pens to transform their cars into canvases filled with famous characters, cheesy catch phrases, and other known art. This ritual is more than just a fun excuse for seniors to draw on their cars; it marks the beginning of the last first day of high school in a colorful, exciting way. Senior Maya B. said, “Senior car decorating is fun. You get to be creative and make memories with friends.” Other traditions, like wearing children’s backpacks–ranging from Strawberry Shortcake to Peppa Pig–symbolize the nostalgic idea that while seniors may be the oldest in the building, they’re still young at heart.

The first day of school is a big moment for seniors, as it’s their last. In coordination, the grade wears matching all-white or black outfits, creating a sense of unity that symbolizes a shared journey. Senior Lyndsay F. said, “[the matching outfits] get all the seniors together and it’s wholesome and perfect for pictures.” Such unity continues at Senior Sun Rise, where students traditionally gather on the turf at 6 a.m. to watch the sun rise unfold, a metaphor for letting the light in on what is sure to be a stellar senior year.

Starting in September and continuing into the end of the year, seniors show off their school spirit during numerous Spirit Weeks celebrating their last year of high school. Seniors deck themselves out in costumes and the school’s signature colors of blue and gold to commemorate their spirit. To add a spin on everyday life for seniors, some even bring speakers to school to make an ordinary day more upbeat during passing periods. Senior Jonathan F. said, “as a musician, it’s a fun way to add energy into the day.”

For many, these traditions evoke a mix of emotions: excitement for the year ahead, but also bittersweet feelings, knowing it’s everyone’s last time to experience high school together. What is certain is that at Jericho High School, these senior rituals continue to give seniors a sense of joy, unity, and meaning during a period of time defined by stress, pressure, uncertainty, and change.