The Yorkies made a surprise visit to the Newsroom last Wednesday night, bursting in with their rendition of “Feliz Navidad.”
Accompanied by Yorkies Co-Head Eliot Min ‘19’s beatboxing, the Yorkies sang “Deck the Halls” in front of a dozen students in Bancroft Hall. Continuing their harmony out the door, the Yorkies left behind their well wishes through song as they made way to the next dorm.
Yorkies Co-Head Jack Curtin ’19 called this tradition “Yorkeling,” which has existed ever since the conception of the a capella group in the early 2000s. During the two weeks before Winter Break, they travel around campus at night during study hours, visiting dorms and performing a medley of Christmas carols.
“It’s also a lot about the surprise factor because we don’t tell people exactly what our order is. We just show up to their door, and we just sing at their door until someone opens up, so that’s the most fun part because we’re just expecting someone to open up, and they’re usually excited to hear us sing,” said Yorkies Co-Head Vish Dhar ‘19.
One of the Yorkies’ favorite pieces to perform is “Feliz Navidad,” the traditional Spanish Christmas song, with Min beatboxing rapidly in background.
“[“Feliz Navidad” is] one that, last year, we actually came up with on the fly. We didn’t come up with the song, obviously, but we started singing it on the fly, and it became this tradition of singing it as we were going to different places. And we thought, this year, why don’t we just make it one of the songs we end up singing? And we just have a lot of fun doing it,” said Dhar.
From Monday to Thursday, the Yorkies travel to each cluster and perform at as many dorms as possible to boost morale and to spread holiday cheer, according to Min and Yorkies member Ethan Chan ’21.
“I think it’s the last [stretch] before break, people are just kinda struggling through the final week of school before we can all go off, and we’re just spreading a little bit of holiday cheer to lighten the mood,” said Min.
Yorkies member Henry Crater ’20 considers “Yorkeling” to be his favorite part of being in the group.
“In the words of Buddy the Elf, ‘the best way to spread holiday cheer is singing loud for all to hear,’” said Crater.
