The Soapbox

Whatever Happened to Caroling?

As the holiday season approaches, with the chill in the air, Christmas lights appearing on houses, and tree vendors appearing everywhere, and I beginning to think about what I will do for the season, I suddenly had to pause for a thought. What ever happened to caroling? Christmas caroling, you know groups of people walking about, door to door in neighborhoods, singing Christmas carols to people. Maybe it is just where I live, but I have not seen or heard of Christmas carolers in years. I remember going Christmas caroling when I was young, but does anyone actually do it these days? I don't mean groups of people in the mall singing, although that meets definition. I mean on city corners and at your door. With all of the hue and cry about the season becoming commercial and generic, if not just pagan and unchristian, what is happening to the grand old traditions?

Now a "carol" is a song especially a joyous song, and "to carol,” means to sing in a lively joyous manner. A Christmas carol, also called a Noel, is a song telling a story about the birth of Christ, an event or events surrounding Christmas, or, stretching the definition, about winter and the season in general. The tradition of Christmas Carols began in the middle ages as a folk tradition and has strong ties to Wassailing. Wassailing started as a reciprocal exchange between feudal lords and the peasants as a form of recipient initiated charitable giving. The peasants would gather and sing at the door of the lord’s manor blessing him and his household for the coming new year. In exchange the lord would give food and drink. In later times wassailing became a tradition in which groups of people would go door to door singing Christmas Carols with expectations of the household giving them money to be used for their own Christmas or for charity and refreshments in the form of small cakes, candy or mulled cider or wine known as "wassail". Sort of a Christmas form of trick-or-treating, without the tricks.

Which really brings me to my point. Caroling, whether on a street corner with a charity bucket, or going door to door receiving treats, is a wonderful tradition that brings cheer to the season. Sure many of us are to timid or lazy to learn songs and go out and sing them, but how many of you keep treats by the door at Christmas just in case carolers come by? Should not a jar of candy canes by the front door be part of the Christmas decor? A tray of cookies? Brownies? I know that now in modern times with our air conditioned homes kept at 72 degrees, there is no need to keep a pot of mulled cider going on the fire. However that is just another part of the dilution of the Holiday Season. Another thing that would make "it" look and smell and feel a lot like Christmas (as in, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas", sing it with me now!). It is almost Christmas. Don't be Scrooges. Find a place by the front door for treats for carolers. Make it a part of your traditional decor. Put a big pot on the back of the stove and mull some cider or wine. Just the smell will cheer you up. And maybe learn some lyrics to a few Christmas Carols and go out and sing them to your neighbors wishing them good health for the coming year.