Caroling at the Crèche, the beloved Chestnut Hill tradition that started in the 1950s, will return on Monday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. outside of Christ Ascension Lutheran Church at 8300 Germantown Ave.

This annual event sees neighbors of all ages come together to sing carols outside — rain or shine — near a crèche, or a tableau of the birth of Jesus.

Nancy Block, the main organizer of Caroling at the Crèche, credits the longevity of the event to a dedicated group of volunteers who work together with the sole purpose of spreading Christmas cheer. Among them are Natalia Dominguez Buckley, Kweli and Melissa Washington, Aileen Cummings Harbour, Denise Hyson, Elizabeth and Tom Beck, and Ginny and Tom Williams and their grandson, Jackson. Block’s husband (Chuck), children (Annie, Joseph, and Jonathan), and son-in-law (William) are also instrumental in providing help.

From managing the crèche setup after Thanksgiving, publicizing the event, creating and printing lyric sheets, organizing refreshments, arranging musicians, and dismantling the crèche after the Feast of the Epiphany, it is safe to say Caroling at the Crèche requires a lot of time and effort. According to Block, this year was made more difficult since she moved from Chestnut Hill to Bucks County.

“I actually reach out [to volunteers] in August. I know it sounds crazy,” Block told the Local. “Then, starting in September, I reach out to local businesses in terms of food and drink donations.”

This year, Zipf’s Candies, Weavers Way Co-op, Bredenbeck’s Bakery, Matines Café, and Baker Street Bread Co. are contributing refreshments for the indoor reception at the church.

Block said one aspect of the event that is never a cause for concern is the music. The talented group, which includes her husband and children, are able to quickly and skillfully adapt their playing to accompany the carolers. They play a little over a dozen tunes, including both religious and nonsectarian songs.

According to Block, attendance last December was about 85 people — an impressive showing for a night with temperatures in the single digits.

“Last year, it was so cold that people were saying, ‘Let’s go in the church and sing. Let’s not go on the lawn. Let’s only do seven carols instead of 15,’” Block said. “And my husband and I are extremely traditional… nope, we’re rain or shine.”

With over 70 years of history behind Caroling at the Crèche, the tradition’s meaningfulness for organizers like Block is apparent.

My family “lives and breathes music every day, so [it’s about] having the place to do that, to sing and join voices with people that I haven’t seen and love seeing again,” Block said. “When I see children who want to hold the jingle bells, or want to hold the lyrics, and they have no idea what they’re reading, and their parents are leaning over helping, it’s exactly what I did 25 years ago with my kids who are in their 20s. So that sums it up; it gives me so much joy.”

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.