Maya writes:
Wondering if you had other reports of carolers last night (Wednesday 12/16)? I live on 43rd and Whitman and we had some lovely singing voices along the street last night around 8:30, right before a huge downpour.
Also, what is the protocol when carolers come to the door? Stand and watch? Join them? Give money? Hide?
An excellent question! Growing up in a Jewish (and somewhat enochlophobic) household, our reaction tended to be the same one we used when we ran out of candy on Halloween: shut the lights and duck. But a group of folks singing, it’s enough to melt the heart.
It might be regional, but when I was growing up in the midwest, we would stand and watch. Then offer cookies if you had some. Definitely not money.
In Minnesota, we had hot cider & paper cups for evenings when we knew carollers were stopping by. I’ve heard of other regional variations: eggnog or fruit punch.
One year, they knocked on our door and we invited them in to sing. Afterwards, I grabbed the first thing I thought of: a bottle of wine. I hope they enjoyed it but since then, they’ve never returned to our house!
I thought I heard singing voice way off in the distance (from 35th & Wallingford) 2 nights ago but couldn’t pin down the direction it was coming from. Way cool!
I heard them last night. They came by and stopped in front on my house on Whitman Ave. and sang. At first, I was confused as to what it was as I had the radio playing while preparing dinner, strange not on my iTunes rotation I thought…by the time I cleaned off my hands and got to the door they had just finished and left some nice baked cookies. They were from the Vine Ministries Church at the corner of 40th and Whitman and they did have lovely voices.
Jordan et al, Jewishness or enochlophobia aside, most of us know that you give them figgy pudding. If they’ve sloshed a mile through the snow to your farmhouse, then you invite them in for grog or cider as well. hmmm I have some carols somewhere – anyone want to give it a go?
Hmmm…does Trader Joe’s sell grog?
Grog is a gateway drug: it leads to piracy.