Friday 22 December 2017

Carol Singing

Ahh, that wonderful Christmas tradition, Christmas Carol singers coming round. Well in Nepal we have that but a bit different. A group pre-arranges to visit one or two houses an evening and comes with sound system in tow ready to entertain the neighbourhood. The hosts then provide snacks for everyone who comes to sing and to listen. The whole thing takes several hours.

Last night we gathered with some international friends to sing some traditional Christmas carols, round a roaring log fire in their back garden. We sang a few of our favourites, such as O Come all Ye faithful and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.




Then, as we were singing, about half of the congregation of our Nepali Church showed up to join us. After setting up the full sound system including 2 guitars and several mics they started singing some Nepali Christmas songs with the requisite dancing. They also put on a little skit of the angel appearing to Mary and Joseph. This was all followed by an invitation to everyone within ear short to join them for church on Christmas morning, then lots of food which our friends had arranged for everyone to share. Nepali curries with a dried flat rice called churra, followed by western sweets of brownies, cupcakes and cinnamon rolls. It was a lovely, fun evening of two cultures meeting and celebrating Christmas together.