St. Paul's is home to many long-standing traditions. Near the start of the school year, the Rector announces a surprise holiday — Cricket Holiday — in morning Chapel. Classes are canceled for the day and the Rector leads new students and faculty on a tour of the woods surrounding the School. Tuesdays are generally preferred for the holiday by the Rector as students who leave the grounds are forced to return by the start time of Seated Meal or Advisee Dinner. The tradition dates back to the first Rector, Henry Augustus Coit, who preferred cricket over baseball as a "more refined sport".