It used to be that one of the most humiliating experiences on Christmas was to put up with the Mormon elders coming over and singing from those awful green hymn books on your doorstep. They thought they were doing you a favor by "caroling" for you in their off-pitch and reedy voices. Then they would want to come in, leave you a message about Mormonism, and "sing" again. God I hated that. They would do it year after year, no matter where I was. In Italy I would hustle them into our flat so that no one in my stair well would call the cops on us, then make them tone it down. But finally I resigned and they tried to do it only one time that I remember, a couple of years ago now. I let them finish their song, told them thanks, wished them merry Christmas, and closed the door. I haven't seen them since.

You're right, it is embarrassing. We hadn't practice, our numbers were few, and no one wanted to be bothered.

Lovely beautifully done choral music would be delightful, but not a ragtag few croakers who don't have the words.

No, thank god.

They sure did, at 8pm on a Friday night no less (seriously, who knocks on a stranger's door for a nonemergency that late!). They got one song in, spouse politely thanked them and started to close the door. They managed to get in a "Jesus is the reason for the season" and shoved a card about their new video. Then stated "your mom sent us, do you know anyone else we can visit?" Nope, door get closed. They were clearly expecting a Christmas miracle of being invited in and seeing us again on Sunday. I never left the couch.