Holiday customs

We go Christmas caroling but my church also pick pairs a family up with another, one knows the other doesn't during the 12 days of Christmas. For 12 days we get a family who has little and drop something on their porch, ring the bell and run. It's great fun, especially for the kids!

used to the only caroling I do now is to myself lolololol

Our church goes Christmas caroling 2x's. They will go around in cars this Sunday afternoon then return to church for a 'meal?' On Wed they will go around our town on a wagon singing carols then afterwards will go to the Pastor"s house for refreshments. I will support them in doing this but I am so cold blooded that I just stay home!!! very nice topic.

I enjoyed christmas caroling and was an active member of our church going from house to house prior to christmas before but now I only stay home to wait for these carolers to come to my house.

We used to sing christmas carols when I went to church with my cousins. I have heard them sung in the neighborhoods in years. We used to go look at lights up in what we called 'the highlands' in a richer part of town and people would come out of their houses and sing to us and even brought hot chocolate out one year.

A Christmas Eve tradition in many Italian-American homes is gluttony. A meatless meal involving seven seafood dishes is prepared. We typically serve clams casino, shrimp scampi, fried shrimp, fried calamari, stuffed calamari in sauce with spaghetti, smoked fish, and stuffed artichokes, eggplant parmisan, followed by salad. Then desserts and coffee. And since the tradition is based on a religious prohibition of eating meat on days before religious holidays, after midnight we used to have another meal featuring cold cuts, roast pork, etc. We don't do this any more because really...how much can you possibly eat in an eight hour period? For those non-Italians out there, don't try this without first seeing your physician.

We used to do Christmas Caroling up here when I was a kid, but the weather often was terrible. I remember it was really cold one night and we almost all lost our voices. We would sing through the streets. There were a few houses, mostly old people, who had requested that we stop at their houses and sing. They let us in and we sang indoors. A welcome relief. Now with traffic almost hitting people, esp. on freezing rain nights and so on, most churches have a caroling night at their church hall. You can join in or just listen. Many churches have given up doing it at all up here.

I don't go Christmas Caroling. I'm trying to think of a tradition that you might not know of but since we're from the same Country I can't really think of any to be qutie honest. I've got traditions that are done in my family, or were done, but now aren't anymore. When I start my own family, I'll be carrying on traditions and making it fun for them.

The kids in the neighborhood would band together and sing carols outside of houses, the houseowners would give coins to the children for their effort and for spreading the Christmas Spirit.^_^ Ive tried this when I was a kid too. The tradition that we have in our place is that we would go to a 9-day Novena. You have a choice of either attending the Early Morning Masses or the Evening Masses. Then attend the Christmas Day Mass. It is said that if you complete the 9-Day Novena, you will be granted one wish. But for me, that's just something they tell kids since I think as long as you pray genuinely, intentionally, and appropriately, God will answer it. Happy New Year!^_^

Gerty- When I was in high school we used to go all the time as a part of our youth group. I've not been in a very long time! I think it would be fun to go again though. Namaste-Anora

No, we only have carolers here in this part of Oklahoma. I love it but don't do it myself. My voice sounds like two chickens fighting ! I do love the music tho.

When I was a child there was an old gas light (that had been changed to electric I might add) and the groups of carol singers from the church would stand under it and sing, it was lovely and gave a real Christmassy feel. I used to be brown Owl (ran the local Brownie Pack) and we always used to go around the area carol singing and gave the money to Christian Aid. I have to say I do love to hear carol singers, no doubt there will be groups from schools and churches around town on Saturday. And of course, as one of the earlier posts mentioned there's the good old 'Sally Army'The Salvation Army singers and musicians regularly bring spirit of Christmas to towns with their carol singing as part of their annual appeal to provide presents and food for disadvantaged people.

Back home nothing like this exists and I suppose it would be so much fun. But here in TN they traditionally do this every Wednesday through Sundays, prior to every show. I am not able to join them today, as I am hoping to be better soon and perhaps I can make it sometime this weekend since it will be our last weekend here. As I so would look forward to it, so I can take the memory with me back home, where no one there really shares wonderful things like this.

We don't get as many carol singers around as we used to do, I think that parents are less inclined to let their kiddies out so much now. The Slavation Army still sings carols in our high streets and there are often groups from loal churches singing them. It is a LONG time since I went carol singing but I did used to!!

Instead of going house to house there is an annual concert in my community where they sing carols and some of my neighbors participate in this. I prefer to go around looking at the lights that people put up to decorate their houses. I put up a few lights myself, but not nearly as many as some of the folks around here.