This is not about mortgage or real estate, this is about the annoying yet anticipated eight nights before Christmas when the kids around the neighborhood disturb our silence and delightful super time. That’s what I am here to Talk About Tuesday.
Why do I say we anticipate their coming? If you have kids in your homes being serenaded by kids is a delight to them as you open your doors to see kids belching to the tune of the undying “Sa May Bahay” (To the home owner), mistakenly sung by kids these days as “Sa’ming Bahay” (To our home). It is annoying because instead of singing their makeshift instruments; maracas, drums, cymbals etc., ( Oh I said makeshift insturments because kids here in the Philippines are very resourceful to use old cans and bottle caps and the like to make their “wonderful” music) overpowers their voice than ever. Instead of being melodic and angelic it turns out to be a catasthrope and its more noise than music to the ears. That makes it annoying.
I remember when my dad was still alive (sigh) since his room is just close to the main gate, he was the one to shoo the carloers away because he is very much irritated by out-of-tune singing, moreso the loud noise they make with their “instruments”. He would say “patawad”, which means the carolers won’t get anything from us. In return the kids would sing a disrespectful song to insult the home owner for denying them of treats (usually coins). “Thank you, thank you and babarat ninyo thank you!” Uhmmm sorry I don’t know how to translate barat in English but loosely translated it can be said as being tight wad.
As of this writing, I heard a couple of carolers already, I am not sure if they are singing for us, I have a super hearing so I can hear much better than the average, but I just heard someone singing the barat song for us? Or the neighbor not sure, they were singing so silently I barely hear them if they were singing for us.
Another annoying thing about the kids carolers are their limited line-up of songs to sing. Out of an average of 8 carolers a night 6 of them will have in their line-up Sa May Bahay and Ang Pasko ay Sumapit (Christmas has arrived!). I heard this other song before very new and I can’t even remember that song when I was a kid but it’s better than the normal. When we hear kids sing a different tune than the usual we gave them higher dole outs. If they sing the normal line-up 1 peso a kid is enough.
The kids now they don’t even dress to impress, they just come as they are. Some kids are also brave these day to do their caroling on the street! They ride jeepneys and bus and sing to drivers! Same kids will be at your home every night singing the same songs!
But whichever it’s all good at least the traditions are being passed on. I was once like them, but honestly we have a good range of song line-up and we don’t sing the same songs to houses who are close to each other.
Christmas is indeed near! Cool breeze and midnight mass and Christmas carolers!
Happy Holidays!
4 Comments
Caroling was a family thing for us here in minnesota. we’d put a huge pair of speakers in my van and hook a large haywagon behind. Fill it with carolers and weave thru the city, the malls and the parks. singing all the great Christmas Songs untill we all got tired. Thanks for the reminder, I think we need to revive the Idea. Blessings to all who read this . ssnuffy
We’ve had carolers, but we’ve taking girl scouts caroling before. I love to take them to senior home who don’t get much attention.
heheheh =) youre right about that! basta nlng me makanta hehehe
d manlang baguhin ung next song kahit magkapitbahay lng kayu eehehe =)
Oh my goodness. I had no idea that caroling was so common there. I also didn’t know that the carolers expected something in return.
I am going caroling this week with my family and my friend and her family. We are taking a small gift for them and caroling 1 or 2 songs.
I guess caroling is a little different here.