Christmas Traditions—Neighborhood Caroling

Both my parents were pretty good singers. My sister majored in music (with emphasis in vocal performance) so she thought she was a good singer, too. (Perhaps she was, but to my untrained ear, her college-educated voice made pretty much the same sound you get when rolling the rocking chair over the cat's tail.) My brother and I, well -- we were trumpet players.

Still, we all sang in the church choir, and as a group could more-or-less carry a tune. And when the Christmas season arrived, it was always fun to roam the sidewalks, assaulting the neighborhood with our unrehearsed renditions of all the holiday classics.

Most neighbors would politely open their doors and stand on the porch to watch. But a few would invite us in for nog, hot chocolate, or perhaps some hot lemon Dr. Pepper. (Yes, I said hot lemon Dr. Pepper. It was quite popular as a holiday drink at one time. Not sure why the company stopped promoting it. Probably because no matter how much lemon you put in your DP, hot chocolate is still quite a bit better.)

And if any of the other neighbors (most likely fellow choir members) came around singing, well, we'd definitely invite them in...for fruitcake.

One year, our cousins were visiting and sang along with us. For some reason, little Timmy insisted upon singing "We Wish You WERE a Merry Christmas". I haven't seen him in 30-some years -- He's all grown up now, but there are times when I find myself thinking back to those olden times and wondering if he's still a pinhead.

Anyway, it's been a long time since I've lived in a neighborhood that encourages carolers, but I hope the tradition hasn't been completely lost. In fact, if you have any good voices in your family (or not), I'd encourage you to get out there and start singing. I don't have any fruitcake to offer, but I could always warm up some Diet Coke or Mountain Dew or something. Could be fun!

Have a great day!