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How To Organize A Christmas Caroling Party

Mac33 by Mac33
Last updated: 01/03/2012

Spread Holiday Cheer In Your Neighborhood

Organizing or hosting a Christmas caroling party is a fun and festive way to celebrate Christmas.

Your caroling party can be casual or fancy as long as you have fun. No need to dress up in fancy Victorian costumes like these folks (but it might be fun).

So grab a glass of eggnog and read on for tips to plan your first Christmas caroling party!

Christmas Caroling Party Basics

There are 3 basic parts to most Christmas caroling parties...

1. Everyone meets up to get organized. This is usually at the host's house but could be anywhere.

2. Go caroling!

3. The carolers (and anyone who joined along the way) head back to the host's house for desserts, hot drinks and more fun.

Now let's look at each part in more detail...

Party Planning

Plan Early!

Everyone's calendars fill up quickly right before Christmas. So pick a date and get your invites out early. A month in advance should do it.

Pick A Date

and Time

Choose a good date to go caroling. Anything before Thanksgiving is too early...you won't get many carolers and your neighbors will call the cops on the crazy person singing on their lawn. After Christmas is probably too late...everyone will assume you've had way too much eggnog.

So that leaves about 4 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas to choose from. Fridays and Saturdays are good since your carolers won't have to get up for work or school the next morning. Pick a reasonable time to do the caroling...somewhere between dinner time and before people put their kids to bed. Plan on 1/2 hour for everyone to arrive and get organized then an hour or so of caroling.

Send Out Invites

Along with the standard invite stuff (date, time, location), consider including these extras in your invites...
  • Ask everyone to bring a dessert (cookies are always popular) or drink item to share for the party.
  • Request an RSVP so you know how many people to expect. Also helps if they tell you whether they're bringing a dessert or drink.
  • Recommend that they dress warmly and bring a flashlight or headlamp.
  • Ask carolers to bring jingle bells or wear Christmas caroling costumes if they have them.

Build Your Caroling Song List

Caroling is easiest if everyone has the same list of carols. You'll know they have the song lyrics and can simply shout out "page 7" as you walk to the next house. One song list for every 2-3 carolers is plenty.

To build your song list you can type and print your own sheets, copy pages from a song book or get enough copies of a song book for everyone to share.

Here are a few books you can try...
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Plan Your Christmas Caroling Route

Before everyone arrives at the party, take a few minutes to plan out where you're going to carol and how you'll get around. If you're starting and ending at the same place, then plan out a circular route that gets you back with minimal backtracking.

Remember that you want to spend most of your time singing carols not walking.

Christmas Caroling

Get Ready To Go Caroling

After everyone has arrived take care of a few logistical items before setting out.
  • Distribute the song lists.
  • Specify how many verses of each song. You might want to sing the first 3 verses of all songs or change the number for each. I find that the 1st verse is nearly completed by the time most folks get to their door so sing at least 2-3 verses.
  • Go over the route you plan to take and how you'll communicate which song to sing next.

Caroling Tips

To keep things organized and be a good neighbor, it's helpful to communicate a few tips to your carolers before setting out.

Use Sidewalks Where Possible - Avoid trampling through lawns and yard decorations. This keeps you on good terms with the neighbors. It also reduces the chance of someone stepping in mud or doggie landmines and tracking that into your house later.

Gather The Group Before Singing - Make sure your carolers have all gotten to the next house before knocking on the door and starting to sing.

Include The Kids - Kids will have a blast going around in a big group, knocking on doors and singing carols. It helps if they have a special task like going ahead to knock on the door of the house while the rest of the group assembles to start singing.

People May Join Your Group

You'll be amazed at how excited some people get when carolers visit their home. There may even be a few that want to join in the celebration and go caroling with you. The more the merrier!

If someone joins your group, get their name and contact info so you can invite them next year.

Variations

Here are a few more ideas for your caroling party...

Go Caroling Outside Your Neighborhood - Consider caroling at a nursing home, other neighborhood or anywhere else you think would enjoy some Christmas cheer.

Dress Up - Really get in the spirit by dressing up in formal wear or something Victorian for that nostalgic Christmas feel.

Have You Gone Christmas Caroling?

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Party Time

After The Caroling...

After your merry band of Christmas carolers has finished singing around the neighborhood it's time to come back to a nice warm house for dessert and drinks.

Christmas Costumes

Christmas Caroling Party Fun

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Yuletide Tales

What's your favorite Christmas caroling experience?

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  • Reply
    MaryEllen Gafford Jan 3, 2012 @ 10:20 am | delete
    Our choir (very small) usually carols and goes through the same neighborhood near Church. There is one neighbor whose kids I went to school with, who is in her 90's. She loves when we go to her house. She always invites us in to see her ceramic Nativity, that a priest made for her back in the 70's. He had also made one for my mother and one for me, so I still have it. We always act like we've never seen one like that before and it seems to make her so happy to be able to share her's. We also, always walk away with a cookie or two.
  • Reply
    cwkerns Dec 19, 2011 @ 9:38 am | delete
    Great idea. Thanks so much for posting. I am going to use this next year.
  • Reply
    athena2011 Dec 16, 2011 @ 8:42 am | delete
    Very nice lens. Made me feel warm and Christmassy inside. I wish people would do Christmas caroling in my neighborhood. Maybe I'll have to look into forming a group myself.
  • Reply
    Mac33 Dec 16, 2011 @ 2:00 pm | delete
    Go for it!
  • Reply
    BLemley Nov 19, 2011 @ 3:17 am | delete
    An elderly member of our church gave every caroler a hand painted ceramic angel, right there, at her doorstep. It is still a treasured keepsake and memory, soo many years later! B : )
  • Reply
    WeddingZazzle Feb 5, 2011 @ 1:07 pm | delete
    Nicely done. Blessed by a SquidAngel.
  • Reply
    Mac33 Feb 5, 2011 @ 9:38 pm | delete
    Thanks!
  • Reply
    Norma_Budden Dec 5, 2010 @ 10:22 pm | delete
    I live in Nunavut, Canada and, much to my chagrin, it's too cold to stand outside and sing Christmas carols. Also - even if I took a chance and planned to host such an event - because the weather is unpredictable, sending an invitation would always have to be extended with a weather-permitting announcement with Plan B and C included, just in case.

    I would love the opportunity to join in such a festivity, though. Perhaps in a couple of years when I live in a southern province and can really enjoy the experience without suffering from a major case of frostbite.

    I thoroughly enjoyed your lens...
  • Reply
    oztoo Dec 2, 2009 @ 7:42 pm | delete
    Nice lens with good advice for being organised. Party afterwards sounds good too.
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This Happy Snowman page written by

Mac33

Christmas rocks! My family enjoys going caroling with friends.

Seasons Greetings from the Wonderland

Connect with Happy Snowman

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Christmas Caroling Gear 

Energizer 4 LED Headlamp (3 AAA Batteries Included)

Energizer 4 LED Headlamp (3 AAA Batteries Included)

Amazon Price: $11.15 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Wear a headlamp like this one to see the song lyrics while keeping your hands free. Make sure to get one that has a red LED for "night vision" mode.

Bring Jingle Bells! 

Hohner Kids Handle Sleigh Bell

Hohner Kids Handle Sleigh Bell

Amazon Price: $4.50 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Jingle bells will get your carolers merry and they're fun to play while singing Christmas carols.