Yes. Often. And I went caroling every year growing up. I was/am in a Ukrainian youth organization that carols every year as a fundraiser. I haven't gone in several years but it's mostly because I have small kids. In a few years I will take them caroling.
When the carolers show up at my parents house they know to make it their last stop because my parents always invite them in for drinks and snacks. LOL
When I was in a church choir growing up, we went caroling to the choir members’ houses. We also stopped by the neighbors of our choir director that she knew (and gave advanced warning a couple days before). It was a pre planned thing not like the scene in Love Actually.
Las Posadas is also common in my city. It is a Latin American tradition where people dress up as Mary and Joseph (sometimes with a live donkey) and knock on doors of designated church members asking for shelter through a song. The people in the homes reply with a song refusing them shelter and slam the door. Finally one home will let them in and it ends with a party or mass.
If you want carolers to come to your house, make friends with choir members!
Post by cricketwife on Dec 21, 2022 9:19:45 GMT -5
Funny you asked, I was just thinking about this yesterday! I answered “yes” but if was as a child. We had carolers and there were years that I sang with the carolers. It was lovely! I feel like carolers are from a bygone era. Although I’m sure this board will say it’s #regional! 😂
Nope. In the small town I grew up in the carolers would be in the in the middle of town on specific evenings if you wanted to go see them, but I have never had anyone show up at my door.
Yes, we have a family in our neighborhood that does this every year (we have lived here for 20 years). We sometimes try to hide in the basement or don't go to the door when they ring the bell. It is uncomfortable like ECB said, to stand there and smile and pretend you enjoy it. We are also usually in our jammies by the time they come around.
When I was a kid and a girl scout we did go caroling in our neighborhood to basically all of our friends houses, I think we got a badge or something for it. But they all knew we were coming and why we were doing it, so it wasn't exactly a "surprise" I guess.
No. And thank goodness. H has told me about how when he was in HS in the early 2000s his school a cappella group went door to door caroling in his town. I can’t even imagine the awkwardness. Maybe this is #millennial of me, but it just seems so rude to me to go up to someone’s door uninvited, for any reason.
Post by archiethedragon on Dec 21, 2022 10:35:15 GMT -5
We had a caroling party this past weekend in which we, along with a few other families walked the neighborhood, knocked on doors and sang to whoever opened. At one house, we saw a light go off and no one answered, so we left. halfway down the road we saw two people come out of the house. We turned around, walked back and caroled to two peoples who we realized afterward were mortified teenagers just trying to leave the house (which was probably their friend's house).
We also had a dad open the door right before we knocked and he said, I have a baby sleeping and a door that will go crazy so please don't sing here...
No, but I saw pictures from a mom at my DD's school that yesterday her DS and his friends (3rd grade) decided to go around their neighborhood. I thought it was so cute!
Post by turkletsmom on Dec 21, 2022 10:51:55 GMT -5
The last neighborhood we lived in had a group of about 20 ladies ages 30-80 that would get together for different parties during the year. In December, we'd start out at one of the ladies houses and drink and eat appetizers, then we'd go to the houses of families we knew (and were expecting us) and carol. All the while dragging coolers full of champagne down the street. It was fun.
I used to when I was a kid with a church group. Pretty sure we only went to church members houses and maybe nursing homes? This is kind of my worst holiday nightmare if it were to happen to me now. I don't want be sung at, it's cold outside, and my dogs would go nuts the entire time.
Post by mcppalmbeach on Dec 21, 2022 11:12:07 GMT -5
A few times. One of our neighbors is a pastor with a youth group and they have come. The one time they visited I broke my toe trying to get the door…my h was out for town and I was home with two little kids and running to get my dog (who didn’t like strangers) put away I also had it in my head they wanted a donation of some sort and o made it awkward so...
No. I've gone carolling though as a teenager. Our church would put out a sign up for people who wanted the carollers to come. It was almost always housebound seniors and it was a highlight of their Christmas season. We would go into their house, they didn't come to the door, and because it was planned there were usually cookies and drinks. Since it was rural and each stop required socializing we'd split up into groups of 6-7 and each vehicles would do a few houses from the list.
No, but they came to the hospital floor when I had a critically ill infant and I was so not amused. I *know* they meant well but we were already overwhelmed by everything and they were so loud. I couldn’t wait for them to leave.
Post by AdaraMarie on Dec 21, 2022 12:31:33 GMT -5
I have not. But this thread reminded me that when my 7th grader was in 1st grade a mom in her class invited all the girls over to decorate cookies and then carol up and down their street.
We had a caroling party this past weekend in which we, along with a few other families walked the neighborhood, knocked on doors and sang to whoever opened. At one house, we saw a light go off and no one answered, so we left. halfway down the road we saw two people come out of the house. We turned around, walked back and caroled to two peoples who we realized afterward were mortified teenagers just trying to leave the house (which was probably their friend's house).
We also had a dad open the door right before we knocked and he said, I have a baby sleeping and a door that will go crazy so please don't sing here...
I can't believe you chased down two people to carol to them when they clearly wanted nothing to do with it 😅 that's some aggressive caroling
When my friends and I were freshman/sophomores in college a friend picked us up one by one in her mom's suburban. At each friends' house we sang a carol to them & their family before moving on to the next house. That was fun.
We moved into our house on November 30 (13 years ago). H and I both had regrets about the house for a while, plus Christmas is always hard and stressful for me, even when I'm not living out of boxes. One night, maybe 2 weeks after we moved in, my H took our toddler out of the house so that I could wrap presents. I was in my living room, wrapping and feeling sorry for myself, when the doorbell rang.
It was teenagers caroling. They started singing and I immediately started crying because I was just not in a great place, and it was so incredibly awkward.
Post by sillygoosegirl on Dec 21, 2022 13:17:34 GMT -5
I've gone caroling, but I think always to people who were expecting us. Never had someone showing up to carol at my house.
I used to be involved with my parents in a local grange, and we would carol to grange members who could no longer get out of their homes and retirement homes.
In college we went around too, but I think someone had a list of specific homes we were visiting. Maybe professors? Honestly didn't know who we were singing to, and didn't really care.
It's a holiday tradition I really like, but I'm not musically inclined, so I could never lead such a group. Also, there's of course always the worry about being unwelcome or perceived as pushing religion. (I'm not Christian and groups I've caroled with weren't either, yet if carolers came to my door, I'd probably assume they were trying to recruit me for their church or save my soul or whatever...)
Post by georgeharrison on Dec 21, 2022 13:55:52 GMT -5
Yes. I had a serious ankle break a couple years ago and was still pretty immobile come Christmas. My church does caroling to "shut-ins" and I made the list that year. It was actually rather embarrassing and I kinda hated standing there while people sang at me.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
No. My neighborhood did have a holiday dog parade last week though where they paraded dogs lit up with lights and sweaters around while someone carried a mini speaker and played Christmas music. It was pretty awesome.