In Photos: Housing Day 2026

n Friday morning, Harvard Yard was crowded with students from the College’s 12 Houses with costumes, posters, and house spirit to celebrate Housing Day. An annual tradition where upperclassmen welcome freshmen into their randomly assigned house for the next three years, Housing Day is a campus-wide event beginning early in the morning – and for some houses, the night before. Although this year marked the first time Housing Day took place on the Friday following spring break rather than the Thursday before, the excitement on the morning of the celebration remained just as strong.

Winthrop House residents discuss dorm storming plans as they await the envelopes containing housing assignments.

Houses competed for control of the John Harvard Statue, climbing atop it, waving flags, and draping it with scarves.

Quincy House residents form a circle in front of the John Harvard Statue.

Cabot, Dunster, Pforzheimer, and Quincy residents celebrated and chanted in the yard, swarming University Hall. In celebration, students decorated their shirts with colored powder to don their newly adopted house colors.

Despite the early morning hour, the Yard came alive with activity.

Quincy House residents enter Matthews Hall, a freshman dormitory, to deliver a housing letter.

Freshmen celebrate in the yard after receiving the news of their housing assignment.