As
today is Sunday, I’m featuring Christmas card scenes of the shepherds. I love
to think of the shepherds. They were watchers and deep thinkers. Imagine what
it would be like to stare into the immensity of the night sky!
And as I think of the carols that keep the symbols of the Nativity alive in our thoughts, I come to the subject of caroling. Does anyone go caroling anymore?
In
the 1950s, carolers came to our door. They wanted nothing except to sing us a
carol or two. Mother would dash to the back porch and quickly put together a
plate of spritz cookies to offer to the group. After hearty thanks all around, the
carolers would be on their way to the next house.
I even remember one dark night during the holiday season when a group of carolers sang from the bed of a truck moving slowly down the street, their soft melodies filling the night air. It’s a lovely memory.
And
then caroling began to change. The carolers would sing a few bars and then a
spokesman would step forward to speak for their cause and/or ask for money. Mother
stopped serving cookies. And then caroling stopped altogether, a societal
change. We’re too busy now – too busy to sing and too busy to listen. And I
think the advent of television had a lot to do with its demise.
[In my collection of vintage Christmas cards, I have more featuring the Wisemen than the shepherds.]
4 comments:
We have caroling in the neighborhood. When they come to our house, they are rewarded with some of Joanne's treats, usually cookies. Sometimes, the group consists of just one family, a family of 10 children, all of which are very musical.
Thanks for sharing this, Chuck. I wondered if the situation might be different in other locations or neighborhoods.
Several groups from our church have gone out the last few years. They don't talk, just sing a couple of songs and move along. I always give out cookies if they come by here.
Caroling is such a nice tradition. It's good to know it's continued in some places.
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