HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
Celebrate the holiday season with song by hosting a Christmas Caroling Party! Caroling is believed to have started in England around the middle ages. As was the custom on many holidays, those hoping for a donation of food or money sang songs as they traveled from house to house.
For this party, ask guests to congregate at your home for a nip of wassail, and then go caroling throughout the neighborhood bringing joy door-to-door!
For more festive ideas read:
Warm everyone's spirits before they venture out in song by serving hot mugs of Wassail. Not only is Wassail a warm spiced and sweetened beverage made from ale or wine, the word is also a salutation as well as the action of "toasting to one's health."
Mull a pot of Wassail and keep it warm on the stovetop for guests to indulge in before and after caroling. Serve a selection of cheese and crackers as nibblers and or consider a potluck of appetizers as suggested in our Progressive Holiday Hors d'oeuvre article.
- 1 gallon apple cider
- 1 (750 ml) bottle pinot noir or a light red wine
- 2 Red Delicious Apples, washed, cut into wedges
- 2 Bartlett pears, washed, cut into wedges
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 Teaspoon ground ginger
- Place cider, wine, apples, pears, cinnamon, and ginger in a large pot. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove cinnamon sticks. Keep Wassail in pot over low flame on stove for guests to help themselves.
- Begin by checking out some sheet music for reference.
- Purchase blank music staff paper, which will have treble and base clef lines.
- Write the party info in between clefs where the lyrics of sheet music would be.
- Fill in a few music notes and symbols for authenticity.
- Roll up the invitation and tie a bow around it. Add a small music note ornament or charm accent.
- Mail your invitation in a small cardboard tube or deliver it to guests' homes.
Try these festive ideas to help guests dress in their caroling best:
- Inquire about Victorian costumes (pictured above) and accessories rental at a nearby college or theater company. Pick up some items for guests to wear such as bonnets, muffs, top hats, and capes.
- Deck the crowd in red! Ask everyone to dress in holiday red tones and you supply Santa hats for all to wear.
- Go for a fun winter look with gloves, mittens, and scarves.
- Visit homes of people you know.
- Start caroling after dinner around 7:00pm and stop before 9:00pm.
- Add to the merriment with sleigh bells and small hand instrumentsCarry battery-operated candles for a quaint touch.
- Provide a few flashlights for darker areas.
- Have a plan for if someone loses their way.
Stained Glass Window Clings
Give windows the look of antique stained glass by using static cling window decorations and adhesive lead tape.
Here's how:
- Choose a static cling window design set that suits your décor.
- Apply the cling to your window.
- Cut strips of adhesive lead tape to connect the pieces in the window cling design set to complete the look.
- Apply adhesive tape lightly so it will be easier to remove when the party is over. If you have concerns about adhesive residue on your windows, simply use the window clings without the lead tape.
Holiday Greenery & Garland
Make your party warm and inviting with lush greenery.
- Decorate lengths of pine garland with wired ornaments and velvet bows. Drape garland over doorways and across fireplace mantles.
- Hang wreaths on doors and in front of mirrors using velvet ribbon.
- Dangle mistletoe wherever you can!
Even though we may have sung "The Little Drummer Boy" for years, the exact lyrics may escape us. Provide songbooks for guests to refer to when caroling.
To Make a Handmade Caroling Book:
- Organize Christmas carol lyrics in a word document computer program.
- Format the page as "landscape," and put one Christmas carol's title and lyrics on the left side and another on the right side of the page, (ask your computer savvy friend for help if necessary!).
- Print the lyrics on to a parchment-style paper.
- Cut the page in half so you have 4.25 x 5.5-inch sheets of paper each with a set of lyrics on it.
- Find holiday-themed scrapbook paper for a front and back book cover, and cut it to the same size as your lyric sheets.
- Compile the pages for each carol into a stack with the holiday paper on the top and bottom.
- Punch 2 holes on the left side of the stack and fasten brads in the holes to keep them together. Look for ornamental or holiday brads at a scrapbook or craft store.
- Create a title for the book using scrapbook adhesive letter stickers or a metallic felt markers.
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