Pull out your parkas and warm up your vocal cords because today is Go Caroling Day!
This is a good day to spread some Christmas cheer with the gift of song.
Christmas carols have been around for centuries. Like Christmas plays and Nativity scenes, carols are another way of sharing and celebrating that special moment when Jesus came into the world.
Below are some activities that your family can do to celebrate Go Caroling Day.
Go Caroling Day Activities
Carols, Cocoa, and Cookies
What would Go Caroling Day be without the caroling? If you’re looking for ideas about where to go caroling, here’s a list of suggestions:
- Your neighborhood
- A hospital
- A nursing home
- Your homeschool co-op
- A shopping mall
- A sleigh ride
- Grandma’s house and neighborhood (or another relative’s house)
- A soup kitchen or homeless shelter
And the reward for all of that singing? Cookies and cocoa, of course.
Christmas Carol Math
Do you know how many gifts were given in “The Twelve Days of Christmas”?
Let’s see, on the first day, one gift was given. On the second day, three more presents were given, and so on. This sounds like a good math problem for your kids to do. When they’ve finished counting up all of those gifts, they can check their answer at the bottom of this post.
Compare Verses Old and New
Did you know that the verses to Christmas carols have varied over the years? Different versions of the lyrics can be found in many old publications. You might want to do a little compare and contrast activity with your children using these different versions. Below you’ll find “Silent Night” as it is today and as it was published in two old songbooks.
Silent Night
Current Version
Silent night, Holy night,
All is calm, all is bright.
‘Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
From Christmas Carols published in 1900
Silent night, sacred night,
Bethlehem sleeps, yet what light
Floats around the holy pair:
Songs of angels fill the air–
Strains of heavenly peace,
Strains of heavenly peace.
From Father Finn’s Carol Book published in 1917
Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright;
Round they children, Father on high,
Beams the light of Thy starry sky,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Christmas Carol Trivia
Do you and your children know the answers to these Christmas carol trivia questions? The answers are found at the bottom of the post.
1. In “Away in a Manger,” whom does the writer want to “stay by my cradle”?
2. Why did the angels bend near the earth in “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”?
3. In “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” what do the bells on Christmas day repeat?
4. In “Joy to the World,” what do the rocks, hills, and plains do?
5. When you “Deck the Halls,” what do you do to the ancient Yuletide carol?
6. What does the Son of God love in “Silent Night”?
7. What was the poor man doing in “Good King Wenceslas”?
8. In “I Saw Three Ships,” what was on the three ships?
9. In “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” what are met in Bethlehem on Christmas night?
10. What did the soul feel in “O Holy Night”?
Scroll down to find the answers.
Keep scrolling
Keep scrolling
Okay, here they are.
Answers:
Christmas Carol Math:
The total is 364 gifts
Trivia Questions:
1. Jesus
2. To touch their harps of gold
3. Peace on earth, good will to men
4. Repeat the sounding joy
5. Troll
6. Pure light
7. Gathering winter fuel
8. The Virgin Mary and Christ
9. The hopes and fears of all the years
10. It felt its worth
I hope you have a wonderful Go Caroling Day. Let me know what you do to celebrate in the Comment section.
Many musical blessings,
