It has been probably 30 years since I went
a-wassailing. Singing Christmas carols
throughout the neighborhood was common.
Either I am in the wrong neighborhood or the tradition has dwindled.
Girls Scouts, church groups, neighbors and families would go
door to door singing Christmas carols. Sometimes we would be given hot
chocolate or candy canes in return for a song.
Once we received money to go to the corner store to buy hot
chocolate. That was exciting since going
out to dinner or for a treat was a rarity.
Caroling began with groups singing carols during the Festival of
Yule to celebrate the winter solstice, which was a pre-Christian
tradition. Once caroling became a
Christian tradition, carolers often sang hymns as they traveled through
neighborhoods. While some view carolers
as politically incorrect in our times, I still like the nostalgic feeling of
carolers.
I have several favorite Christmas carols. Some are hymns like Hark the Herald Angle
Sings and some are not like Marshmallow World.
I will be traveling to Williamsburg to view their colonial Christmas, I
hope to hear many Christmas Carolers and I hope you do too.
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