December 12, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Friday, December 12.
Starting Monday, here in our Christmas series, we’ll look at stories behind some of our favorite carols. Today, we simply focus on the word . . . carol.
Carol, first of all, is a name. A name that means “song of joy”. Derivations include “Carolyn”, my older sister’s name, and “Caroline”, my youngest daughter’s name. I’m surrounded by songs of joy! The first carols, written in the 4th century, were far from joyful and were written in Latin, a language that most people could not speak. In the 13th century, Saint Francis of Assisi, led a movement to bring Christmas back to the common people. Joyful songs, in the common tongue, soon followed.
Caroling, the practice of groups of singers going house to house, originated as little more than begging. The Carolers were literally “singing for their supper”. Caroling gained popularity during the 19th century Victorian era, as did many of the holiday traditions that we enjoy today. Have you ever gone caroling? If not, you’ve missed out on a lot of fun. There are just 14 days till the big day, so get out there and sing! Surprise your neighbors with a chorus of Jingle Bells, a verse of Silent Night, and a little We Wish You a Merry. Or maybe carol down the hallways of a local nursing home. Just make sure you sing with joy!
Meet you back here on Monday,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
