The snow is here, the trees are lit, and the stores of Harvard Square are in the middle of their Christmas rush--time for Winter Break.

Most students will be going home for the holidays, but for a few, it may be a white Cambridge Christmas.

Heat

For those who are planning to stay in the dorms: a word of caution. To conserve energy--last year Harvard saved $60,000 in fuel costs during the winter break--the heat in the dorms will be "reduced."

What this means is that if your room is next to a proctor's or senior adviser's (or another official who will probably be in Cambridge), you will notice little, if any change, Harvard officials said yesterday. But if you are unlucky enough to have a room near a common room or the dining hall, the nights are going to get pretty chilly.

All undergraduates and most graduate dining halls will close after lunch on Saturday, and will reopen for dinner January 2, 1983, undergraduates who remain will have to fend for themselves.

In addition, all University libraries will be operating on reduced schedules. Explained a staff member in the office of the Dean of Students. "We want to encourage students to go home."

The two-week break from classes seems like a good time to catch up on sleep, or on some wintertime fun such as skating, sledding, and skiing.

Mountains

The Harvard Ski Club is planning an excursion to Sugar brush in Vermont, and a few spots remain for students willing to pay $155 for the six-day trip, which begins Saturday. The Ski Club is also planning weekend and seven-day trips during reading period and intercession. They range in price and length from a $75 weekend trip to Loon, N.H., to a week-long trek to the snowy mountains of Aspen, for $669.

Jonathan Margolis, president of the Harvard Ski Club, said of the snow, "I despise it. It's so cold. I get windburn on my face. But once I'm out on the slopes, it's a wonderful time."

Rinks

The Metropolitan District Commission operates skating rinks in Medford, Somerville, Revere, and Newton. They are open during the afternoon and for evening sessions, each with a one-dollar admission charge--$2.75 if you rent skates as well.

Harvard's Bright Hockey Center will be one of the few Harvard athletic facilities still open during winter break. The Indoor Athletic Building will also be open.

Hills

The hills around the Charles River are prime spots for cross-country skiing and snow shoeing, according to some local residents.

But Anne DeFailly, a native of England who now lives in Cambridge, plans to go tobogganing in the Peter Hill section of Harvard's Arboretum in Boston. A few city school children yesterday recommended the slopes near Fresh Pond in North Cambridge for sledding.

First Night

For a cultural celebration of New Year's Eve, look into Boston's First Night festival.

Zeren Earls, president of First Night Inc., describes the annual fair, with events scattered throughout Boston, as a "public celebration of New Year's Eve through the arts."

Starting at 2 p.m. on December 31 with a children's program, the festival continues at 6:30 p.m. with a procession from the Hynes Auditorium to Boston Common.

From 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., in sites spread throughout Downtown and the Back Bay section. First Night will run more than 100 programs, ranging from music--classical, folk and jazz--to theater, dance, mime and film.

The celebration winds up with a midnight fireworks display at Waterfront Park in Boston. All outdoor events are free, while admission to practically every indoor event comes with the onetime purchase of a three-dollar button.

Reactions to the first major snowstorm of the season this weekend ranged from disgust to indifference to ecstasy.

"I truly detest the snow. It's so dirty and cold," explained DeFailly as she treaded her way through the gray slush of Mass. Ave.

Greg Sprick '85 said he was disappointed because "it wasn't nearly enough for a decent snowball fight."

Bonnie St. John '86 said that "I was ecstatic about it. I'm dying to go skiing!"