Norwich University in Northfield will host its first Wreaths Across America Ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 1 p.m., at the Norwich University Cemetery. Students, alumni, veterans, and members of the Central Vermont community are invited to take part in the laying of remembrance wreaths and the reading aloud of the names of the fallen.

The ceremony is scheduled one week before the national Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 13, offering Vermont media and the public an early local observance of the nationwide tradition. The event is free, open to the public, and all media are welcome.

Event sponsors include American Legion Post 1819 and the Norwich University Cemetery Association. Volunteers, military families, and Gold Star families from across Central Vermont are expected to participate.

Organizers say the ceremony reflects both the national mission of Wreaths Across America — to “Remember, Honor, Teach” — and Norwich University’s deep military heritage. Norwich is the nation’s oldest private military college, and the cemetery serves as the final resting place for veterans and alumni who served in conflicts across generations.

Last year, more than three million wreaths were placed at nearly 5,000 locations worldwide as part of Wreaths Across America. The ceremony at Norwich will mirror that tradition, with students, families, and veterans placing wreaths and reciting the names of those being remembered.