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For more than four decades, St. Olaf students have bundled up each December to treat neighbors near the Hill to Christmas carols in Latin, Greek, and German. What began as a neighborly idea between Classics and German professors has grown into a beloved tradition that winds through spaces like Buntrock Commons, Rolvaag Memorial Library, the Ole Store, and the St. Olaf House — where President Susan Rundell Singer greets carolers with a warm fireplace and refreshments.

“It has become a highlight of the evening,” says Professor of Classics Anne Groton, who has led the caroling throughout the decades.

She notes that this year was a banner one: around 70 Oles hailing from 23 states and Washington, D.C. joined in the caroling. They sang a wide range of classic songs, including Silent Night, Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, and Joy to the World. 

“The caroling is a distinctive, interdisciplinary tradition at St. Olaf.”

— Professor of Classics Anne Groton

The tradition began in the early 1980s when the Classics and German departments shared the third floor of Old Main. “Professor Emeritus of German Karl Fink and I both lived within walking distance of the campus, so we got the idea of having our students combine for caroling each December in the neighborhood of the campus, with a party featuring hot cider and cookies afterward at one of our houses,” Groton says. All of the other Classics and German faculty members joined in the effort, as they still do to this day.

Over the years, the caroling locations have included the Northfield Hospital and Three Links Care Center, in addition to other neighborhood stops and campus buildings. While the locations changed and the post-caroling party eventually moved to Tomson Hall, Groton says the interest among students — and the joy it brings to both singers and listeners alike — has never wavered.

“The caroling is a distinctive, interdisciplinary tradition at St. Olaf,” she says.