Lighting Up a Holiday Tradition

On the spur of the moment, we gathered some friends and neighbors last night and went caroling through the neighborhood. In a stroke of genius, I brought hubby's mountain-biking light. It's made to illuminate a wide swath of trail and did just great lighting up my old hymnal with Christmas songs so we could all see the lyrics. I just had to make sure not to accidentally point it upwards and blind the folks we were singing to.

Our neighborhood has several families that are new to our country, from places like Korea and Ecuador. It was fun to hear them say "No one has ever caroled for us before!" Maybe it's a tradition that's dying out. Sure, it's a bit old-fashioned, but I always remember caroling when I was a kid. It was just part of what made the holiday special. Last night was especially beautiful: cold but mild, with nothing falling from the sky. We had a chorus of about fifteen voices by the time we were done, and got to see some of our older neighbors who don't get out much and bring some holiday cheer around. The only problem was that everyone offered us homemade cookies. I think I ate about five or six too many.

At every door, we usually opened with something the kids know well like "Jingle Bells", but we asked if the people had any requests. "Silent Night" is hands-down the favorite song to hear, such a simple melody but it always brings chills to me when I hear it.

So in this holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or "Festivus for the Rest of Us", I wish you love, joy, and peace. If I could sing you a carol, I would.