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Posted by Robyn Lee in Family on Friday, December 23, 2011 1:30 PM
When I was growing up we had the tradition of waiting until Christmas Eve to put up our tree.
After the tree was decorated (and the tinsel was blown onto the tree ... one strand at a time), we would sing Christmas carols.
Every year we would use these old songbooks from the ‘70s that were distributed as an insert in the local paper.
The back of the songbook has a picture of a paperboy holding up a folded newspaper and underneath a message: “‘Carols for Christmas’ songbook compliments of The Hartford Times.”
My dad worked for the paper so he brought home multiple copies.
The Hartford Times has long been out of business, but we continue to cherish these (yellowed and torn) songbooks year after year.
The songbook is a 16-page booklet that contains 12 traditional Christmas carols complete with lyrics and music for two-part harmony. Some of my favorites are, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and “Away in a Manager.”
We use the songbooks when we go caroling in the neighborhood. Since caroling has become an annual tradition we have the method down to a science. This is our usual routine:
~ We ring the doorbell and as soon as we hear movement inside, we start singing.
~ When the neighbors open their doors they are handed a plate of cookies (wrapped up with a pretty ribbon and bow)
~ Finally, when the the song is finished we say, “Merry Christmas!” and walk away singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
The carolers this year were Mom, Aunt Karen, three sisters (including me), one cousin, my niece and my brother Tom. Tom was hysterical because most of the songs were too high for him, but he would sing anyway in this really high-pitched girly voice. Several times I had to hide my face behind my songbook because I was laughing so hard.
We usually rotate singing “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Joy to the World.” We sing these songs well and the harmony is awesome. My cousin Monica knows the descant for “O Come All Ye Faithful” and it gives me the chills every time I hear it. Beautiful.
What is your favorite traditional Christmas carol? Do you have a favorite songbook that you use?
Have you gone caroling this year? If not, remember that there are 12 days of Christmas so I encourage you to go caroling in your neighborhood the week after Christmas.
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I love the idea of handing your neighbors a plate of treats after the song. I haven’t caroled in YEARS. The 12 days of Christmas would be a fabulous time to carol…in keeping with the Christmas Season.
That sounds lovely! I would love to carol or have carolers come to my door. When I worked a local hotel would send carolers around to its customers each year. It was great! I wish I had enough family to carol with me! It’s been on our cub scout calendar a few times but always canceled due to weather.
We have given up caroling in the neighborhood. No one ever comes to the door even when we know they are home. I don’t if it’s because they feel like they have to give us something or if they just can’t be bothered to listen. So now we go places where there is a captive audience like a nursing home.
This is a wonderful idea. I’ve never been caroling, but we live in a tiny town where the church is open only 1 hour a week. Sunday morning, from 8-9. there is no phone and the priest belongs to a parish in a larger town 20 miles away. However, I would love to have a copy of one of your books. Is that possible? God Bless and Merry Christmas!
We have started caroling with our young mom’s bible study group, plus the kids, around to those in our parish that are listed as shut-in’s and receive communion in the home. They love it and so do we! I think it is great to go to nursing homes and such too. But this reaches out to a group of people that are less likely to have those special Christmas wishes brought their way. It sounds like we have the same sort of routine in song lists and goodies! 
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