Library of Congress, 1897
Long before radios, recordings, or streaming playlists, Christmas carols were shared the old-fashioned way by singing together.
In territorial communities, families gathered in homes, churches, and sometimes outdoors to sing familiar hymns and folk carols. Many songs were passed down orally or sung from hymnals, with simple accompaniment like a fiddle, organ, or nothing at all.
Caroling wasn’t about performance. It was about connection. Voices carried comfort, faith, and a sense of togetherness during long winter nights on the frontier.
For many families, these shared songs were the celebration.
Check out "Christmas Carols and MidSummer Songs" at Project Gutenberg:
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