Carol service on Christmas Eve?

[Bellenden Belle]

Okay - can anyone recommend a carol service for Christmas Eve that doesn't include a church service. Hypocritcal I know, but I would love to sing tra la la la la laaaaaa, but know my poor atheist husband could not tolerate too much religion. Don't mind whereabouts in London it is - though local of course would be lovely.

[Mogs]

You could go door to door, I would like to see more carol singers, you could give us a knock and get some hot chocolate with baileys for your efforts :-)

[Frisco]

"Okay - can anyone recommend a carol service for Christmas Eve that doesn't include a church service. Hypocritcal I know, but I would love to sing tra la la la la laaaaaa, but know my poor atheist husband could not tolerate too much religion. Don't mind whereabouts in London it is - though local of course would be lovely."

Too late really for carol services, secular or religious, if they hadn't happened before, they tended to take place today. I have a lot of sympathy with the view that Christians have monopolised Christmas and carol services, and I believe that atheists should boycott such events.

[Bellenden Belle]

Thanks Frisco - yes, I know most take place today ... I guess it's the ancient childhood tradition of Midnight Mass that I remember... will probably go along to St John's at Goose Green.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Happy Christmas.

(Deleted grumpy post!)

[LostThePlot]

Bellenden Belle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hypocritcal I know, but I would love to

> sing tra la la la la laaaaaa, but know my poor

> atheist husband could not tolerate too much

> religion.

My wife is Christian, I am atheist. If she wants to go to a service then I can have no say in that, and am happy to stay at home/read the paper in the car. Can't you're hubby do that?

Sorry but I'm one of those Atheists who are not anti religion, just have no belief in in a god, and don't try to force my views down others throats. Which ironically, I feel is what organised regions should be about.....

E

[Jennys]

from the London Free List site:

Christmas Eve Candlelight Carol Service

N16, Newington Green Unitarian Church. Free

Christmas Eve Services

WC2, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square. Free

Christmas Carol Service

EC4, St Paul's Cathedral. Free

Christmas Eve Service at St Margaret's Church

SW1, Westminster. Free

None of them very near I'm afraid.

Christmas Eve Services

SW1, Westminster Abbey. Free

Christmas Eve Services

EC4, St Paul's Cathedral. Free

Viva Viva - Christmas Eve

N8, Hornsey. Free

The Cavendish Christmas Eve Rock n Roll Party

SW8, Stockwell. ?2.00

[bald marauder]

Hey guys,

You could always trust in the EDF for a solution ;)

If you look in the 'what's on in ED' section, you'll find a carol session listed at 11pm tonight (Christmas Eve) at Goose Green. Doesn't mention a church service, so could be just the kind of secular experience you are looking for - you hypocrite!

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?6,75244

Merry Christmas to all EDF'ers!!

BMx

[Jeremy]

Christians have monopolised Christmas and carol services?

I'm not at all religious myself, but surely that has to be tongue-in-cheek?

[Jennys]

if it's a christmas song you're after, try this:

http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

[Frisco]

"Christians have monopolised Christmas and carol services?"

Well spotted, give that man a prize.

Overheard recently by someone I know: "Trust the church to cash in on Christmas".

[Bellenden Belle]

Just thought I would say that thanks to Jennys useful suggestion hubby and myself enjoyed a lovely unitarian carol service this evening. It had beautiful readings - both religious and secular (I particularly liked Maya Angelou's Amazing Peace and we even had a visit from Santa Claus!

Merry Christmas everyone!

[Frisco]

Merry Christmas.

[Huguenot]

Intersting angle on that one of course Frisco - the [almost] midwinter festival was of course never originally a Christian festival, it was always thoroughly Pagan. Although Christ-mass (as in the religious service) 'celebrates' the birth of Christ, it's not suggested that it was actually his birthday.

In fact the 25th December was the mid-winter solstice in the Julian calendar. There are also those that claim the date was also selected by those of a Jewish persuasion as a calculation of the most likely date of Christ's death... All very kinda convenient.

You could also argue the dates were chosen specifically by early converts to half-inch the Pagan festival of 'geol' (this is still used today - witness 'yule'-tide).

The 'twelve days' of Christmas were based on the Roman 'Saturnalia' which originally started a little earlier (17th December), but were also a great excuse to party.

In that sense you could indeed argue that the Christians have usurped and monopolised the mid-winter festival, and that those of us who resist this pressure are fighting for the restoration of our right to get pissed in the darkest days of the year without assigning us to some transitory political-religious movement!

[Huguenot]

Just trying to think of some secular carols for a moment...

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly

Jingle Bells

We wish you a Merry Christmas

Twelve Days of Christmas

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

(Secular in the sense that 'Chrsitmas' in this context refers only to the festival rather than a religious event, and the content refers to general celebrations rather than the events of the nativity)

Any more..?

[sphillips]

Why have a pop at Christians at Christmas? It?s a matter of personal choice and conviction. St John?s, Goose Green was packed with regulars and visitors throughout Christmas. I don?t think anyone is suggesting that 25th December was the actual birth of Christ ? it happens to be when Christians celebrate his birth, that?s all - according to the man-made calendar of the Church. East Dulwich people went to St John?s this Christmas for all sorts of reasons ? many I assume because they just wanted to sing and hear Christmas carols ? and why not? There?s nothing hypocritical about it, unless you feel hypocritical. It?s up to everyone to believe what they decide for themselves or not believe at all. Lots of Christians don?t go along with the you must seek to convert everyone ethos. And yes, there are carols sung at Christmas which are more religious than others and which refer to the winter festival ? who really cares? ? as long as there?s a glass of something handy! Happy New Year.

[Huguenot]

...Good King Wenceslas...

[mrstree]

A note for your 2008 diary.

St Stephen's church on College road, next to sydenham hill station, had an amazing carol service on Monday 17th December. I imagine they do it every year. I am agnostic but don't have any problem with going into a church. Opera and choral music is so often based on religious themes but when hearing it on the radio I don't feel that I am being converted, just uplifted by the incredible sound of the voices.