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Patron saint of the environment and Xmas carols
St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1182-1226) first introduced carols in 1223 during a Christmas Midnight Mass in a church in Greccio, in the province of Umbria. His music had a more joyful beat but before his upbeat tempo, all Christmas music was limited to liturgical hymns solemnly written about the nativity.
As Christmas became a more popular, celebrations sprang up across Europe. Christmas music became even livelier and was soon an integral part of the Mystery Plays of the Middle Ages.
Stop that singing and pray!
But like the plays themselves, the songs became more flamboyant and even bawdy. The Puritans were horrified by what they considered sacrilegious celebration and outlawed carolling from 1649 – 1660 along with Christmas decorations.
That’s when the peasants moved the singing outside along with the Nativity Scene. They would gather in a circle and sing the various songs written by members of the community.
Modern carols
Over in the New World, caroling was taken up as Charity Circles, when members went door-to-door, caroling and accepting donations. It’s still used as a fund raiser to this day.
Why not do some caroling for your favourite environmental organization? You’ll save energy by turning off the TV and all that walking is a great way to keep off the holiday weight while spreading some seasonal cheer.
Safety tips for caroling
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