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