Why I Think You Should Go to Caroling This Year (and How to Get Started)
The season of joy is upon us, and we all need as much holiday magic as the world can provide right now. Whether you’re an avid Christmas fanatic or just happy to have a few days off from work, this series will help you choose the perfect gifts, playlists, meals and activities to make this the best Christmas ever .
The year I was in high school, I was hanging out with some friends at a Christmas Eve party and we thought it would be fun to sing Christmas carols. It was a smart move, stupid, but we went to a random house in my friend’s suburban neighborhood, someone dared to ring the doorbell, and soon a suspicious old man looked at us and asked, “Well?”
Our bluff was called and my scruffy friends and I started yelling “Jingle Bells.” It didn’t sound very good, but even though we meant “aren’t we so ironic?” What to do during the boring Christmas holidays turns out not to be the case. The old man called his wife to the door, and they were surprised and delighted. Me too. It was an unexpected connection between strangers in a cold world. I still think Christmas is very cliche, but it’s not. This stuck with me. Since then (at least when I have the energy) I have been trying to carol together at Christmas. I think you should too.
History of Christmas carols
There is no historical starting point for “people singing songs to each other just for fun”, but Christmas carols as a specific thing have historical roots in the traveling minstrelsy of the Middle Ages. They developed into a Christmas choral tradition of the Victorian era, the golden age of Christmas carols. Victorians loved to gather family and friends and take to the streets for some old-fashioned sailing. What else were you going to do in the winter in that pre-TV era and pre-everything era?
Why is it worth caroling?
Other than the occasional group of professional carolers at the mall, you don’t see many people engaging in this practice anymore. Television, home heating, cars, computers – in general, modernity – have killed caroling. We no longer have room for spontaneous social interactions like caroling. Here are just a few of the reasons why I think you should sing Christmas carols this year:
Breaking Social Barriers: Caroling offers a rare, socially acceptable way to approach strangers and create moments of happiness. Caroling reconnects us with our neighbors in a meaningful, only slightly haunting way.
Personal growth : It takes real courage to step outside your comfort zone and sing in public. Who doesn’t need random tests of courage?
For the kids: Your kids will remember the year mom made everyone sing carols more vividly than what they broadcast, I promise.
Spreading happiness: A little singing can change someone’s whole day, especially those who are lonely or isolated, and isn’t that what all this Christmas nonsense is supposed to be about?
How to carol
Christmas caroling goes better with a little preparation. Here’s how to host an evening of holiday cheer at home.
Step One: Assemble a Team
Showing up alone on someone’s porch and shouting “Jingle Bells” isn’t caroling, it’s disturbing the peace. You need to gather friends. You can go to your city’s subreddit or Next Door and advertise for people who want to sing, but respondents will probably expect you to be trying to start a “serious” group. We’re going to do some classic, semi-impromptu caroling, and it starts with a caroling party. Invite your friends, relatives and acquaintances to a holiday party. Keep it casual, but make sure you understand that carols will be part of the evening.
Ask each guest to bring a Christmas sweater, holiday scarf, or other holiday item. This is important: something as simple as a party hat is a visual signal that in people’s minds turns a group from suspicious to friendly. If you want to be extra special, have a few LED candles on hand to hand out for caroling. And be sure to print out the lyrics of the songs you choose.
Step Two: Select Some Songs
Christmas carols are anachronistic, so they work better with older songs. Keep your “set list” with “everybody knows” holiday classics that are easy to sing along. My choice:
“We wish you a Merry Christmas. This is a real Christmas carol. Energetic, joyful and easy to sing, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” is even a Christmas carol song. I wouldn’t make good on the song’s promise (threat?) to sing until you get some “fig pudding”.
“Silent Night” This classic is slow, beautiful and instantly recognizable to everyone. You need a small vocal range to sing properly, but we’re not aiming for perfection, so don’t worry.
“Jingle Bells.” This is the easiest Christmas song to sing. This may be too simple, but you get extra points if you include parody text about what Batman smells like.
“Deck the halls.” Another Victorian-era tune with almost no words to remember: most of the song is “fa-la-la-la,” and who doesn’t love singing “fa-la-la-la?”
Step Three: Rehearse
When everyone is together, listen to your songs. Do it just once and don’t worry about how it sounds. You’re not so much rehearsing as you are making everyone feel comfortable singing in the group. However, if you have singers in your group, combining certain harmonies makes caroling magical.
Step Four: Get Out
This is an important moment – a test of courage. Announce to the group that caroling is beginning, but give your shy guests a break by letting them know they can come and just watch if they want. (They’ll probably want to join eventually.)
While you can visit neighbors you know, or even let them know in advance that you’re coming over to sing, I’m more in favor of showing up at strangers’ houses unannounced. This increases the likelihood of both unexpected magic and awkwardness. Both are good results.
The classic move is to ring the doorbell/knock and start singing. This gives your audience the option of not answering the door if they don’t want to do business with you.
If you enjoy caroling but don’t like strangers or surprises, consider caroling in a nursing home. I guarantee they will welcome you with open arms and the residents will love it.
How to Make Christmas Caroling Fun
Here are a few things to keep in mind to make caroling fun for everyone:
Don’t be too ambitious: don’t plan a long expedition with multiple stops. Your guests will probably soon tire of singing to strangers, so plan on only three or four visits to the house.
Don’t Hold the Reception : A group of strangers show up and sing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” – it’s fun, but only for a few minutes, so don’t perform more than one song unless asked to do so.
Don’t take rejection personally : When you knock on a stranger’s door, their first reaction will most likely be, “What do you want ?” Some people don’t like it at all when strangers show up and sing, and some people literally don’t know how to react, so don’t take it personally. Try to catch the mood and bow out after the first chorus if you run into someone who really doesn’t like it.
Do nothing but carol. Not asking for anything in return is the most important rule of caroling. Don’t mention your church. Don’t try to sell anything. Do not ask for donations or ask anyone to sign the petition. Despite the lyrics, don’t demand fig pudding and don’t threaten to stay until you get it. Just sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and wait for the audience to say, “Wow! Thanks, I guess,” and hit the road.
Be prepared to accept new participants: sometimes people you don’t want to know will want to come with you. Let them!