American Corner Innsbruck
Christmas Caroling
14 Dec 2011, 19:30, Café Ararat, Schöpfstraße 6b, 6020 Innsbruck
In an interesting multi-cultural event, a few ACI staff and friends joined a few members of the Austro-American Society for an evening of Christmas caroling at the Café Ararat, Schöpfstr. Innsbruck. The Café is run by a Kurd, the caroling participants included not only U.S. Americans (including a Jew who loves Christmas), but also Austrians, Hungarians, and Italians, and the songs sung were well-known British, American and German/Austrian Christmas songs—ranging from humorous “I saw Daddy kissing Santa Claus” to more traditional “We wish you a Merry Christmas” to gospel “Go Tell it on the Mountain” to the reverent Austrian “Silent Night.” 15 ACI/AAS members came to this first joint singing event, and passers-by/other café guests simply joined in the singing, especially with Silent Night—which was sung in both English and German (as was O Tannenbaum). The café has a piano, which AAS member Niki Brugger played. Carolers were allowed to bring snacks to share, so the tables were spread with cheese, salami, bread, nuts, tangerines and candy-canes. The Austro-American Society paid for all beverages and produced a photo-copied booklet of typed song texts, which the ACI will edit and amend for future caroling events. It was a wonderful, convivial evening of celebrating together with song. No one present was really a singer, but that didn’t matter one whit. Everyone sang their hearts out and had a grand time!