Holiday Cheer

How do you celebrate the season?

By Annette Beach

This time of year is a season celebrated by many around the globe. The festivities range from traditional to spiritual beliefs to parties to quiet time alone, and vary according to customs and cultures. Some last a day while others go on for weeks. Although there are differences, the commonality shared by all who join in the celebration seems to be the spreading of joy and love.

Last Monday, I participated in a celebration packed with energy and enthusiasm that was spread throughout a community. The event was called, “Rock Caroling” and rockin’ it was!

Rock Caroling was organized by a local church and held in a small town near my home. It was impressive and so much went into the preparation, all for the sake of bringing joy to a community.

The evening started with a parade of more than 20 vehicles. It included floats (just as impressive as the Macy’s parade), fire trucks, police escorts, horse drawn carriage, horse rides, wagons, caroler’s and a semi-flat bed truck with a full band and two of the most spirited and passionate voices. The parade turned off of a main road then wound through a large housing area. The parade lasted one-and-a-half hours.

My husband had an absolute blast as one of the electric guitar players on the truck! Speakers blasted the neighborhoods with music and festive cheer. They played popular carols and rocked it up to put people in the holiday spirit!

Creating costumes and coming up with clever ways of pulling off an image is something I’ve always enjoyed. While I prepared for colder temperatures, last-minute alterations to my costume had to be made because the weather turned out to be much warmer than expected. Although arthritis has left me with crooked fingers and limited sewing talents, I can do wonders with a hot glue gun! 

My role for the evening, along with several others, was to portray an Elf and spread holiday cheer. With pointed ears and bells on our toes, the Elves lead the parade right behind a police escort and in front of the fire engine transporting good ole’ St. Nick. 

We were equipped with two Gators (all terrain utility vehicles) fully loaded with hot chocolate, cider, cookies and greeting cards for the entire route. The Elves greeted people along the road, rang doorbells and rallied the neighborhood, passing out treats and holiday wishes.

When we returned to the starting point, there were more festivities, a live nativity scene, bonfire and of course more cookies.

One of the highlights of my evening was a question asked by a little girl no older than 4. I handed her a package of brownies and said I’d return with cider. As I approached with her drink, she held the brownies in the air and asked, “Hey Elf, is this coal?”

This was an awesome event and put smiles on the faces of a community that’s had a tough year. Regardless of a person’s choices or beliefs, festivities like this can make a person’s heart grow a little bit bigger – I know mine did!

If you celebrate the season, please share family traditions and holiday pick-me-ups. Have you ever experienced an event that made a difference in your day or life?