by Alex Morrey, HY Board Member and resident of the Harrison Street Neighborhood
As seen in December 2017 Connections
The Morrey Christmas Caroling tradition began in 2008. I had recently learned about caroling and I remember asking my mom why we had never gone. She said that if I wanted to, we could go door to door around our Roanoke Woods cul-de-sac one night close to Christmas and Carol for our neighbors. I was so excited!
I created songbooks with some classic Christmas songs, and she invited our next door neighbor and her little girls. We all went around the neighborhood together. A few families joined in along the way, and by the end we had about ten people.
Year after year, more and more families joined, and we eventually started hosting a pre-caroling party with hot chocolate and small holiday appetizers at our house and then pizza and cookies afterwards. When we moved away from Roanoke Woods four years ago, the tradition continued but now it’s around the Harrison Street area.
I love how the caroling has become such a fun tradition and how it’s something my family and I look forward to every year. We invite former neighbors from Roanoke Woods, current neighbors and friends, including fellow HY member Meg Kilzi and her family. We still have songbooks with the classic Christmas Carols, but now we put the pages in plastic sheets to protect them from the rain/snow. We also provide flashlights and fun Christmas hats! This December we plan to carol the week before Christmas, but plan around the weather. Our route is Harrison Drive, and the top part of Harrison Street, but if the weather is poor we end up shortening it.
Read more about family holiday traditions in Issaquah Highlands in the “Home for the Holidays” feature in December 2017 Connections >
