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Tips For Caroling

Tips For Caroling

Whether it’s your first time caroling or you’re a seasoned pro, we’ve compiled these tips to help guide your group on maximizing your enjoyment while caroling.

Spending time together as a group before you start caroling gets everyone into the Christmas spirit and gives you the opportunity to review caroling details. Share some hot cocoa and get ready to spread some joy!

The Song Leader can start each song, leading the group to all begin singing at the same time.

Practice starting a few songs together as a group so that everyone feels confident. Practicing is a great activity for the pregame!

It’s helpful to map your desired route and share it with the group during the pregame. This helps keep everyone together and sets expectations for the evening.

Most Christmas songs have certain verses that are well-known, and some verses that are not. For your convenience, we’ve provided a list of song lyrics and have put the most well-known lyrics in bold. To keep things easy for the group, feel free to just sing the bold lines.

We suggest singing 1-3 songs at each house, depending on the length of the song. Your total time caroling is up to your group, but we find that 30 minutes – 1 hour is comfortable for most groups.

We encourage you to sing any Christmas song that your group enjoys! For your convenience, we’ve provided a downloadable/printable list of song lyrics on our website. For best results, we suggest printing song lyrics, placing them in plastic page protectors, and carrying them in a binder. This will protect your song sheets from rain or snow, and will ensure everyone in the group works through the song list in the same order.

To keep little ones energized while walking through the neighborhood, consider pulling them in a wagon or stroller. You can even decorate it with lights and tinsle to create their own Christmas sleigh ride!

Don’t forget to wear layers, scarves, gloves, and hats to keep warm while caroling. For those who have trouble walking long distances, consider driving a few blocks at a time – just be considerate of where you park; don’t block driveways or mailboxes

If you don’t live in an area with many neighbors, consider caroling at a nursing home, school, apartment building, hospital or anywhere else you can spread some joy. Just make sure you call and ask for permission beforehand.

We strongly encourage taking photos and videos while caroling! Share your photos and videos with The Joyful Noise Project on Instagram and Facebook by tagging us or messaging us directly. Plus, your video could be featured on The Joyful Noise Project’s website or YouTube channel!

Above all, we wish you and your group a very joyful evening! Our mission is simply to spread joy within our communities, and we are so grateful for you to be part of this movement.

Download Caroling Tips

The tradition of friends, family, and neighbors walking door-to-door and singing Christmas carols.

This is an activity for every age. Just make sure that you have a stroller or wagon for the very little ones. Or drive in the car with someone who may have trouble walking or standing for over an hour.

1-2 songs are appropriate

Plan to sing at houses where you know the person but also mix in some neighbors that you don’t yet know. A goal of 6-10 houses is great!

We recommend a 30 to 45 minute pregame with your group prior to caroling. Caroling typically lasts 30 minutes to 1 hour, but can continue longer depending on weather and how the group is feeling!

A group can be as small as 6 or as large as 25. There aren’t any firm rules around group sizes. You just want to make sure that the group can stay together.

Song choice is up to each group, but to make it easy, we’ve provided an extensive list of the most popular caroling songs, along with the lyrics, available in a downloadable/printable file. Singing a mixture of old and new, slow and upbeat songs keeps the energy up. For your convenience, our song list has the most commonly known lyrics in bold, as we suggest only singing lyrics that the whole group is familiar with.

(7-8 pm) after dinner but before bed.

The Joyful Noise Project Frequently Asked Questions

Questions? We have you covered. Take a look at some of our most common questions and if you still need help, please contact The Joyful Noise Team so we can better assist you.

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