We’re compiling a list of caroling traditions across the metro. Do you go caroling? Tell us about it! Are you hoping to go caroling with an established group? Share your interest with us.
“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” -Buddy the Elf
Caroling has long been a part of the holiday tradition, and though not as common nowadays, that festive energy can still be found.
“We think it is fun to wear festive or silly holiday outfits, especially anything that lights up,” says Amanda Sanders, an administrative assistant at Classical KC and longtime Waldo resident. Sanders has caroled in her neighborhood for the last seven years.
“Carol” derives from the Medieval French term for a circle dance, dating back to the 14th century, and people used to sing them for a variety of celebrations and observations year-round, including the winter solstice.
During the 1800s and 1900s, the tradition grew in popularity, especially in England and the United States. Some newspapers even printed music for carolers’ use. Some groups would sing to raise money for charities, others simply to spread goodwill to their communities. Wassailing, as in “here we come a-wassailing, among the leaves so green,” is a British tradition, celebrating the pre-Christian ritual of “waking the trees,” and involves both singing and drinking wassail (and banging pots and pans, which may be less popular in your particular neighborhood).
Throughout the season, there are plenty of professional music events, school performances, and opportunities to hear seasonal carols by groups decked in Dickensian garb or sparkly scarves, but if you want to revive the tradition of going door to door, sharing song and a festive greeting, we have some tips to help prepare you.
What to expect when caroling
At its heart, caroling is about the joy of the season and togetherness, so don’t let a lack of experience stop you.
There are caroling songbooks available, both for purchase and for free, sacred and secular, though Sanders and company created their own selection of songs, using lyrics from the internet.
One of her favorites to perform is “Jingle Bells.”
“It’s fun to sing; we all get to shout ‘Hey!’ And we carry bells, so we jingle them throughout the song as well,” she says.
In my own high school experience, my friends and I (all band nerds) had the impulse to try caroling. We borrowed handheld candlesticks from someone’s parents and tromped through the streets of the Village of Mount Carmel (in Indiana), singing whatever carols came to mind. We stopped outside a few houses of friends, but to my recollection no one came to the door. We had fun anyway.
“The main tip for first-time carolers is to be ready for rejection,” laughs Sanders. “Many times we are singing in front yards to closed doors and folks peeking out windows. If we know folks are home we will stay and sing one full song.”
But there are plenty who embrace the spontaneous concert, Sanders says. “Twenty percent of households will really enjoy it! They open the door and gather everyone to listen, just beaming with smiles.”
Though simple at heart, there are ways to enhance your neighborhood caroling experience, like letting some of your neighbors know ahead of time so they don’t miss out (and maybe have treats prepared for you!). Bring a warm beverage (and stay hydrated), making sure your whole party is dressed for the weather, and take a circular route, so you end up where you started (perhaps with more songs and warm treats).
Sanders said her group will even gather at a street corner by a stop sign and sing as cars come by. “It is an unexpected thing to roll up to the stop sign and get a song! People roll down their windows and linger to sing along if there aren’t other cars,” she says.
And if carolers arrive at your house, don’t fret!
“Etiquette for folks who have carolers show up is simply to open your door, smile and thank them, maybe clap!” says Sanders.
No matter your reason, stepping out in the frosty air with a song in your heart is a pure and powerful way to connect with your community and spread cheer during the holiday season.
Caroling Across Kansas City:
American Caroling Company
Dickens Carolers
Holiday Choirs at Crown Center Shops
KC Chorale - A Christmas Carol
KC Repertory Theater - A Christmas Carol
Tinseltones
