Lighten up, sing out, greet winter

December 06, 2009|Necee Regis, Globe Correspondent

It’s easy to embrace the holiday spirit in New England. Twinkling lights entwine lampposts, windows, and the spindly branches of trees, brightening the cold, dark days. Homes are bedecked in holly and bows. Snowflakes swirl, carolers sing, and hot chocolate appears on every menu. Pity the poor Floridians. Santa in sunglasses? Not our style. Whether you commemorate the season with latkes or sugar plums, or by howling at the moon, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate with light and song. All together now: Let it snow!

Messiah Sing at Wassail Weekend, Woodstock, Vt. Enthusiasts of all ages head to Woodstock for the mother of all weekend extravaganzas, otherwise known as Wassail Weekend. The entire town participates in the ho-ho-holiday spirit. Many events are free, such as a crafts fair featuring local artisans, a reading of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales’’ at the library, ice skating at Union Arena, “A Child’s Magical Wonderland’’ at Woodstock Little Theatre, and the Wassail Parade, where horses and riders in traditional costume march around the Town Green. A carol sing accompanies the lighting of the yule log and memory tree.

The weekend festivities conclude on Sunday afternoon with the popular Messiah Sing, held at Our Lady of the Snows Church. This annual sing-along of Handel’s grand oratorio allows audience members to join the chorus, accompanying professional soloists and musicians. Singers are encouraged to bring their own scores, non-singers to listen.

Wassail Weekend, Dec. 11-13; Messiah Sing,Dec. 13, 4 p.m. at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, South Street (Route 106), 888-496-6378, www.woodstockvt.com/wassail. Prices vary. Many eventsfree.

54th Annual Community Carol Sing, Mystic, Conn. Join almost 4,000 revelers at Mystic Seaport for possibly the largest community sing-along in New England. In fact, you can spend the entire day enjoying the museum’s historic ships and exhibits for free, as long as you bring a nonperishable item of canned goods to donate to a local food pantry. Also free this year: the planetarium’s “Star of Bethlehem,’’ which studies the winter sky in relation to science, mythology, religious observance, winter traditions, and music. In the afternoon, the Mystic Carolers perform in the Greenmanville Church, and the day concludes with the outdoor Carol Sing.

“People make this their tradition,’’ said Michael O’Farrell, who works at the Seaport. “It’s a chance to forget about shopping, baking, and wrapping presents, and it gives the community center a chance to stock their shelves with food for the winter.’’

Dec. 20. Mystic Seaport opens at 10 a.m.; Carol Sing at 3 p.m. 75 Greenmanville Ave., 888-973-2767, www.mysticseaport.org. Free with donation of nonperishable food.