Christmas Caroling
Do people still go Christmas caroling? When i say people i suppose I mean children, when I was a child we used to go every year, we'd get the carol book that we were all given at school and half a dozen or so of me and my mates would hit the streets to do our best to keep in tune. Looking back the only reason for this was to make a few quid but it really is a very fond memory of mine.We'd all meet at the phone box on our council estate and decide which of the "richer" estates we'd hit, then setting off, we'd arrive at the chosen estate or street and the nerves would be tingling as we decided which house we would try first! I remember discussing which carol we were going to sing, all turning onto the correct page, then ringing the bell or knocking on the door, the anticipation to see if the hall light came on, then the embarrasssed feeling you always got as you stood there singing Away in a Manger or Jingle Bells to the total strangers watching you, then they'd call for Granny to come and see you and anybody else who happened to be in their house, this would sometimes make you sing a second carol and you just wanted it to end! It was always a great feeling though when they then went into their purse and popped a few pence into the jar or hat that we'd be using for collecting the money.
We'd be out for a few hours walking the streets, throwing snowballs, pushing eachother over in the snow and generally having a great time.
The worst thing I remember is when you sang a couple of songs at a house and then the owners would go in the kitchen and come out with a tangerine each or a mince pie or the jar of sweets which you had to put your hand in and choose one each! All we wanted was cold hard cash!!
Then there was the little boy who just couldn't sing, ours was affectionately known as "Hobo" and we used to have to ban him from singing so he'd just stand there miming the words until one cruel man who's house we visited noticed him doing this and made "Hobo" sing a solo of Silent Night, poor "Hobo" tried but he just couldn't do it (I still feel the embarrassment for him now as i write this!) he then started crying and the man went in the back and gave us all a walnut each! A walnut i mean what we're we going to do with a walnut, with no nutcracker! I knew! i told all the boys to keep the walnuts in our pockets until later we then and carried on down the street knocking door to door,singing, collecting our money and playing around. The end of the night then came and as we went past Mr "Walnuts" house we all bombarded his window with them before sprinting off laughing(as only young kid's can) the adreniline rushing through our vains. "Hobo" loved this and it certainly made him feel better.
It would be then back to the phone box to share out the money we had earnt and to discuss which street we were going to hit the following night.
It really was a wonderful time and would literally be the only money any of us would have for buying presents, cards or whatever for Christmas, which leads me back to my original question "Do children go Christmas caroling?" would you trust your child to be out on their own walking the streets without an adult? I think it is very sad but being a parent I would have to say no. The world in which we live is so different today, the innocence has gone, you'd be afraid to knock at some doors because of the reaction you may receive, religous differences and can you really trust the people who's house you are knocking at? Maybe now as parents we can go caroling with our children, which would be lovely but you can never replace the excitement and thrill of not just the singing but the whole experience of being out with your pals on a cold winters night. I can't anyway!
I hope you enjoyed the lens and who knows it may just take you back to Christmas memories of your childhood yourself!
We'd be out for a few hours walking the streets, throwing snowballs, pushing eachother over in the snow and generally having a great time.
The worst thing I remember is when you sang a couple of songs at a house and then the owners would go in the kitchen and come out with a tangerine each or a mince pie or the jar of sweets which you had to put your hand in and choose one each! All we wanted was cold hard cash!!
Then there was the little boy who just couldn't sing, ours was affectionately known as "Hobo" and we used to have to ban him from singing so he'd just stand there miming the words until one cruel man who's house we visited noticed him doing this and made "Hobo" sing a solo of Silent Night, poor "Hobo" tried but he just couldn't do it (I still feel the embarrassment for him now as i write this!) he then started crying and the man went in the back and gave us all a walnut each! A walnut i mean what we're we going to do with a walnut, with no nutcracker! I knew! i told all the boys to keep the walnuts in our pockets until later we then and carried on down the street knocking door to door,singing, collecting our money and playing around. The end of the night then came and as we went past Mr "Walnuts" house we all bombarded his window with them before sprinting off laughing(as only young kid's can) the adreniline rushing through our vains. "Hobo" loved this and it certainly made him feel better.
It would be then back to the phone box to share out the money we had earnt and to discuss which street we were going to hit the following night.
It really was a wonderful time and would literally be the only money any of us would have for buying presents, cards or whatever for Christmas, which leads me back to my original question "Do children go Christmas caroling?" would you trust your child to be out on their own walking the streets without an adult? I think it is very sad but being a parent I would have to say no. The world in which we live is so different today, the innocence has gone, you'd be afraid to knock at some doors because of the reaction you may receive, religous differences and can you really trust the people who's house you are knocking at? Maybe now as parents we can go caroling with our children, which would be lovely but you can never replace the excitement and thrill of not just the singing but the whole experience of being out with your pals on a cold winters night. I can't anyway!
I hope you enjoyed the lens and who knows it may just take you back to Christmas memories of your childhood yourself!
