Caroling is one of the many Christmas traditions that I like and cherish. In general, it’s a way of sharing Christmas spirit. At the same time for the young ones, it is a way to have some Christmas money. After singing carols, we say Namamasko po! (a polite way of saying, can you give us some Christmas gifts, usually money).

I remember when I was still in the UMYF (United Methodist Youth Fellowship), after the Simbang Gabi Services (Night Watch Worship Service, December 16-24), we would go from house to house of church members singing carols with our portable cassette player. (It was in 1990’s, back then, minus-one songs in cassette tapes were in. I thought we were so high-tech... until AI came ha ha ha . . . we can do lip-synch!) We carol to raise funds for our Christmas Institute, an annual District-wide Christmas Youth Camp held every December 26-31. We would anticipate generous hospitality and donations from church members.

But one of the most memorable Christmas Caroling I had was with my high school friends led by our favorite English/Journalism teacher, Sir Rick. We caroled to several families who lived in shanty homes near our school. Most of them shooed us away, saying they don’t have anything to give us. We would continue singing and afterwards, politely say we have some grocery gifts for them. In this case, we would not anticipate warm hospitality, instead we were practicing generosity.

I cherished all those Christmas Caroling moments both in church and in school, not much about the material gains or giving, but the deeper connections we built with each other. The happiness given and received were treasures to keep. Caroling is a wonderful and fun way of spreading the Good News of CHRISTmas. Just like when the multitude of angels sang to the shepherds in the fields on Jesus’ birth.

“Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to singing praises to God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!” – Luke 2:13-14

How about you? What are your fondest Christmas Carol memories? This Christmas 2025, we can continue creating wonderful Caroling memories for ourselves and our people.

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Caroling!