25 Days of Christmas - Day 19: What Happened to Christmas Caroling?

I've noticed in recent years the sharp decline of Christmas caroling in my community. I remember when I was a child, there used to be these church groups that would go through the neighborhood caroling. It was nice to hear. These days, it doesn't happen anywhere from what I can see except in those picturesque small towns that's like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Why don't we go door-to-door caroling anymore?!

There is somewhat of a movement to bring back wide-spread caroling during the holidays. Last week in Westport, Connecticut a large group of people attempted to set a Guinness Book world record for door-to-door Christmas caroling. The event was titled "One Voice" and it was organized by the Westport Unitarian Church. Since such a category doesn't actually EXIST, Guinness set a list of criteria the carolers would have to meet in order to "set a record." This event was done to benefit a local charity named Lily Sarah Grace fund which stands to help arts programs in underfunded elementary schools across America. The charity gets its namesake from three Stamford sisters who died when their house burned down Christmas Day 2011. Apparently the event was a success in that in brought attention to their cause as well as the group managing to set the new record with a total of 502 carolers.

What I love about this story is that the community got together and embraced the idea of the caroling mainly because it was for a good cause. I would totally be on board for doing an event like this in my hometown if I thought that people would actually SUPPORT it. I could care less about breaking a world record. The idea that one could use such a wonderful activity as caroling to bring Christmas cheer to others as well as supporting a worthy charity effort is enough motivation for me to get involved.

So, next year, I'm getting folks together to go caroling. I don't care how many people think we are crazy. I want my Norman Rockwell holiday fantasy darn it!

If you want to donate to One Voice and their charity, click on this link here.

25 Days of Christmas - Day 18: Christmas Music Playlist

Christmas time is the only time of the year that has its own special music genre. The rest of the year, the songs are generally the same old mainstream pop, rock, or hip-hop. Christmas music is for the nostalgic and the whimsical. I feel funny playing it any other time of the year. That's why I look forward to Christmas because I can finally dust off all my Christmas mix CDs  and play them on a never-ending loop. My best Christmas music memory was a couple years ago when I was staying in a lake house in the mountains for Christmas with some folks I knew. The den had this huge flat screen with surround sound system with an iPod/iPhone docking station. I'd hook my iPhone up to it and play the Charlie Brown Christmas album. Sitting on that comfortable wrap around sofa with a blanket and listening to "O Tannebaum" was wonderful.

Given my love of Christmas music, it stands to reason that I'd have some of my favorites that make it on my play rotation each year. I've decided to be a good little blogger and list my all time favorite Christmas songs that I've loved my entire life. I'm sure I'm missing some because I had to redo my Christmas playlist this year due to a hard drive crash last year which caused me to lose my entire music collection. *sad face*

"This Christmas" by The Temptations

"A Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burt Ives

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" both the Judy Garland and Bing Crosby versions

"All I Want For Christmas" by Mariah Carey

"The Chipmunk Song"  by The Chipmunks

"White Christmas" both Bing Crosby and Otis Redding versions

"Cool Yule" by Louis Armstrong

"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" by Dean Martin

The entire Charlie Brown Christmas album (of course)

"That Spirit of Christmas" by Ray Charles

"Jingle Bells" by Frank Sinatra

"All Alone on Christmas" by Darlene Love

"Little Saint Nick" by The Beach Boys

"The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams

"Silent Night" by The Temptations

"My Grown Up Christmas List" by Amy Grant or Kelly Clarkson

"Carol of the Bells" for me, there are only two true versions of this: John Williams and Trans-Siberian Orchestra

"O Holy Night" I like many different versions of this song. I'm quite jealous of anyone who can sing it because I have found it extremely difficult to sing due to it frequently being sung in such a high key.

"Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms

"Let It Snow" by Boyz II Men (for those romantic nights when you're curled up with someone special)

The entire Nutcracker suite because I played these songs on piano quite often growing up and I've long been obsessed with Tchaikovsky's work. I could correctly spell his full name before I was ten years old!