QUITE an interesting thread on our subdivision’s Facebook home page-slash-bulletin board today. Is it okay for children and adults to go around caroling? Indeed, this year has totally been unlike last year when not even a mouse was peeping then come Christmas eve. Now, coming in droves and then strategically dividing into groups of two or three to cover more houses, children, with most of them not wearing masks, take their turns at each door to sing Christmas carols.
One funny thing about the thread on Facebook, it has garnered a lot of comments, most of which were more colorfully-suited to the coming election slated in May next year. To think that it (the thread) only covered our subdivision of a few thousand residents, the issue of caroling at this time must’ve been really something that lit the seat of our pants, to the concern of all. One comment from someone we recognized issued the banner-leading cry of one side, castigating those opposed to caroling as over-acting and not mindful of tradition and respect for the spirit of Christmas. Comments from across the fence on the other hand, might’ve just about rounded up those still wary of Covid-19 transmissions, for them, this could be another probable reason for a spike in cases, unless the standing local precautions were followed and not tossed aside because it was Christmas time.
The middle ground, as methinks it is, lies in not entertaining the carolers that come a-singing at the door. I see this as the third party in this online local suburbia town hall discussion. They insist that if the carolers were merely ignored, they would naturally move on to the next house, to be joined in by the owners’ dogs who like to welcome strangers at the gate with their own brand of singing too.
From a legal point of view, I had first sought to get interpretation from the people manning the city government’s home page. They replied that, with the recently-applicable rules on covid prevention, the decision whether to allow caroling is passed on to the barangay level. When I inquired via the page of our local barangay, no reply whatsoever. Then, I noticed that the latest input on their homepage had been July of this year, so I guessed it’s ‘Nobody home!’
Finally, I guess we will never see the end of it. Judging from the many responses on just a single thread, people (as is our nature) will always have interpretations that will best suit their comforts and beliefs. Whatever is thrown at them, be it of political (as in rules and regulations) or religious nature (as in religious practices), compliance will never be the automatic first thing to do. On the contrary, interpreting it according to a sure fit will always be the first in most people. Then, as one thinks about it, it’s really these political and religious dogmas that are the usual culprits in our being continually screwed up, even at barangay level. Thus, on the issue of Christmas caroling this year, I am talking raincheck till 22 and the heck with tradition for the moment.
