One of the most simple yet generous things you can do this Holiday Season to spread the Christmas cheer is gather a bunch of friends, some song books and hit the pavement (which is hopefully generously covered with snow) caroling through your neighborhood. Have you ever gone Christmas caroling?
I was nine years old the first time I went Christmas caroling. There were seventy-five children in our neighborhood. We gathered as many as we could convince that year and commenced choosing and practicing our songs. It wasn’t a white Christmas, but there must have been flurries that night because there are snowflakes in the photo my Dad snapped at us when we showed up at our door.
I shared the story with my husband on our first Christmas together. I told him how some of the neighbors invited us in for a hot drink and others offered chocolates or cookies. When we got to my house, my mother announced that she would be observing an old tradition and she tossed pennies to us. When I got to this part of the story, my husband would always say, “Did she throw them underhand or overhand?”
That first experience gave me the Christmas Caroling bug. We caroled in High School, we caroled with the neighbors in our first neighborhood as a married couple returning to our place for hot chocolate and cookies. We bundled up the kids and brought them caroling with us. Thinking about it now makes me want to revive the tradition again this year.
Have you ever wrapped up in warm clothes and raised your voice in Christmas cheer to unsuspecting neighbors and friends? Are you doing it this Christmas?
I’m taking a break for the holidays and I want to wish you and yours a happy, healthy Christmas that is filled with laughter and many special moments! As you ring in the New Year, may your heart be filled with hope and joy! See you in 2012!
photo credit: William Murphy
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What a beautiful post Lori It just evoked all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings...you seem to have created such lovely traditions for yourself and your family...how lucky your family is to experience the joy that you provide! And, because I am sure that they hold your stories and traditions near to their hearts, chances are that your children ( TashaGosselin and your son) will carry on the beauty of these experiences.
When I was young, I caroled on many different occasions. My earliest memory was a few of my grammar school friends going around the neighborhood singing and our gracious neighbors making us feel special ;-) In high school, I went caroling in a more organized fashion with our church youth group and, again, loved the feeling and the event. There is something so magical about most Christmas carols...they soothe me in a way that other music may not be able to. I especially love having the Classical Christmas music radio station on in the evening in the car when driving home...it is dark and peaceful and the music is reminiscent of a safe and wonderful time of the year. I just love it. In college, friends and I would take our guitars and go through the neighborhood and carol...I found that the response was not as warm as it was when we were little children doing the singing...maybe, as young adults, we weren't as "cute" and the charm just wasn't there? And actually, we sang so much better as young adults! So, I haven't caroled since college and where I live now, it probably wouldn't really work. Sigh... but, lorigosselin , if you set it up, I'm there! ;-) Especially if you provide the hot cocoa afterwards!!
Thank you for a warm and sentimental post (I apologize for getting here so late) May you and your family enjoy the time you have together this Christmas and may you all revel in the traditions that you each bring to the family!
And, finally, (whew) here is my all time favorite Christmas carol...
http://youtu.be/e25yRIA7g5k
xoxo
Claudia
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