My heart swoons when I think of celebrating Christmas on Dartmouth Drive in the 1970s. We had one hell of a neighborhood and the best traditions!

One that has since disappeared is going Christmas Caroling. It always felt like we had a long break from school, so we were constantly thinking of fun things to do around the neighborhood. It wasn’t so much that we all liked to sing, but we sure did enjoy the treats neighbors shared with us after we sang a carol or two! 

We would bundle up and, as usual, meet up at someone’s house. I’m recalling that a couple of us brought flashlights to help guide the way through snow drifts between the houses. 

The air was cold and biting, but we didn’t care. We tromped through the yards as you heard the crunching sound of the snow beneath our boots, discussing what song we would sing next. Who would ring the doorbell? Would they be home? It was common for neighbors to ring doorbells back in that decade, and not to be timid about answering it.

“Jingle bells, Jingle bells, jingle all the way”, we all sang out of tune and laughed at the same time. We always stuck with fun, short, and upbeat Christmas songs. Most of the neighbors were delighted to see some pre-teen kids spreading yuletide cheer. 

Some neighbors let us pick out a homemade sugar cookie with our mittened hands off a tray. Others dropped peppermints or wrapped candy into our snowy gloves. Thinking back, it was delightful! How timeless and simple.

We did it just for fun. We did everything back then for fun, and we were never bored. Looking back, it brings me so much joy! We entertained ourselves without our parents getting involved and made the best memories! 

Does anybody go caroling anymore? It needs to make a comeback!  Just like a rotary phone, I don’t think kids would have any idea what to do or act if a group of people showed up at their door singing Christmas songs. 

To all my old Dartmouth friends, who may have accompanied me, Suzy, and Marnie (rest in peace, my friend) …possibly the Peet boys: Bob, Joe (rest in peace, ole pal), and Jeff, David B, Jim H, Mike G….those heartwarming Christmas Caroling escapades will be with me forever!