December 3: The Magic of the Carol Service

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Christmas carols, candlelight, a heavenly choir, a Gothic cathedral: put these together and you have one of the most enchanting holiday traditions in Britain.

During advent season, almost any sizable town in the UK will have a “carol service” in one of its churches. The service features readings from the Bible connected to Christmas, a choir singing holiday hymns, and the whole congregation joining in -- often to the thunderous accompaniment of a pipe organ -- for traditional Christmas carols. All this by flickering candlelight.

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Though I’m not religious, I love a good carol service. The wonderful music and the solemn but celebratory atmosphere really put me in the Christmas mood. In my years living in London, my tradition was to go to the carol service at Southwark Cathedral on the South Bank of the Thames. The carol services at Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s draw huge queues, but the one at Southwark was easier to get into… plus I could visit Doorkins, the cathedral cat, who would wind her way among people’s legs as the service went on.

To enjoy this tradition wherever you are, play this video of a carol service from Trinity College, Cambridge, and take a few moments to let the song, candles, and spirit work their magic.

—Ben Curtis

Ben Curtis

Growing up, Benjamin Curtis always wanted to be James Bond. Turns out that it’s not so easy to get a license to kill, so he settled for being an international man of mystery. He knows 15 languages, has lived in six different countries, worked throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and served as an advisor to the British government. Most fun of all, though, were the many years he spent as a professor in Seattle. These days he lives in Prague, teaching, guiding tours, and writing books on global politics and history. He blogs at www.benjamincurtis.me.

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December 4: Italian Christmas Cookies

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December 2: Traditional Bermudian Christmas Fayre