Here is a lovely Christmas poem, by L. A. France, about a group of Christmas carollers, happily singing outside in the snow.
The poem was printed in “The Night Before Christmas and Other Popular Stories For Children”, a beautiful illustrated children’s book published in 1903 by W. B. Conkey Company, Chicago. Amongst other poems and stories, the book contains the less well known poem “The Night After Christmas”.
We are a band of carollers,
We march through frost and snow,
But care not for the weather
As on our way we go.At every hall or cottage
That stands upon our way,
We stop to give the people
Best wishes for the day.We pray a merry Christmas,
Made bright by Christmas cheer,
With peace, and hope, and gladness
And all they may hold dear.And for all those that happen
To pass us on our way
We have a smile, and wish them
A merry Christmas-day.
The tradition of “carolling” is particularly popular in the United States, where participants are often dressed up in Dickensian-style clothing. Since many people do this every year, carollers can sound and look very professional!
