Christmas caroling is an age-old tradition that has been around for decades, but the actual origin of the tradition is something that is much debated. There are three popular accounts for how Christmas caroling became such a popular tradition.

The first possible origin lies in the search for a little girl who went missing in London in the late 1800s. Since Jack the Ripper was still on the loose, her family and friends were worried that she was a victim or that they would become victims themselves while they searched for her. Legend has it that they started singing Christmas carols as they went from door-to-door, searching, to show that they were harmless.

Another possible origin for Christmas caroling is that the tradition was started by the town drunks, who would go from door-to-door, singing, hoping to get a few dollars.

The last possible origin for this holiday tradition has its roots in the mid-1800s, when Prince Albert married Victoria and English peasants wants to impress the new royal family by serenading them with carols. It’s been said that caroling was a tradition from that day forward, and that the tradition made its way to America through the Methodist and Lutheran churches.

Have you heard any other stories behind the origin of Christmas caroling? What are they? Which one do you think is the most believable?