Colgate Day is a worldwide celebration that takes place every Friday the 13th. It’s a day to show your pride for alma mater, to wear maroon, and to show your love on social media. On Colgate Day, we celebrate our Colgate spirit and our connection with Colgate alumni spread all across the globe.
Enjoy special savings and deals at the Colgate Bookstore! The entire store and website will be 13% off on Friday, January 13th from 10am – 5:30pm! (some exclusions apply).
Every Friday the 13th is a lucky day for Colgate University. But did you ever wonder just why Colgate Day is so special?
Well, in 1817, 13 men — six clergy and seven laymen — met in the frontier settlement of Hamilton with 13 dollars, 13 prayers, and 13 articles. During that meeting, the men founded the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York, the cornerstone for what would become known as Colgate University.
That’s not our only reason to celebrate the number 13. The university’s address is 13 Oak Drive. Our zip code is 13346. The first two numbers, standing alone, are the number 13, and the sum of the remaining three totals 13.
Even the university’s motto has a connection with 13. There are — no surprise here — 13 letters in “Deo ac Veritati,” a Latin phrase meaning “For God and For Truth.”
So this superstitious number has a very special meaning on our campus. And in honor of this tradition, every Friday the 13th is declared “Colgate Day.”