the.com/caroling
door-to-door singing that turned begging into a beloved holiday tradition.
means Going from house to house singing Christmas songs, often in a festive group, sometimes hoping for treats or coins in return.
from From 'carol,' which entered English from Old French 'carole' — a ring-dance accompanied by song. That word likely traces back to Latin 'choraula,' a flute-player for a chorus, and ultimately to Greek 'khoros,' the dance and the dancers (the same root that gives us 'chorus' and 'choir'). So a carol began as something you danced before it was something you sang, and 'caroling' — the act of going about doing it — keeps the old circling, going-round-the-village spirit alive.
- medieval origin
- once meant dancing in a ring, not singing
- wassailing roots
- poor sang at rich doors demanding food and drink
- banned briefly
- Puritans outlawed Christmas celebrations in 1600s England
- figgy pudding
- that song is literally a polite extortion threat
king's college christmas eve — cambridge university's annual candlelit service featuring the world-famous king's college choir, broadcast since 1928
christkindlmarkt nuremberg — german christmas market in nuremberg since 1628 with carolers and seasonal singers throughout december
sidewalk carols new york — street singers performing holiday songs on manhattan sidewalks and subway stations during december holidays