Joy to the world of WMATA. (Photo: YouTube/LuxRiderDC)

The end of Thanksgiving signifies Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and a million other labels ... but it also signifies the beginning of the winter holiday season. I began to hear Christmas music on the radio over the weekend while in St. Louis, and I don't expect these tunes to stop any time soon.

In that spirit, the coming season will bring Christmas carollers to our streets and even, it seems, to our D.C. Metro system. Video has emerged for the first caroller of the season, giving a rousing rendition of "O Come O Come Emmanuel" on an Orange Line WMATA train. Here's the man who allegedly gave quite a performance to riders around 9 p.m. last night:

The caroller, as you can see, is a short Asian man. He grips a Metro pole in one hand as he reads the carol from a book in the other. How would you react to this spontaneous sight on your commute? While I can see the virtue of Christmas carols sung on the street, I wonder if the Metro trains provide space that's a little too close for comfort. Imagine reading the Express next to this lone caroller. There is, after all, no escaping this man's singing once the train takes off.

A 55-year-old YouTube user known as LuxRiderDC uploaded the clip yesterday with the following message:

This guy gets on the Orange line at McPherson Square at 9:20 on 11/28. When the doors close, he yells, EXCUSE ME!, opens his hymnal, and starts belting out O Come O Come Emmanuel. I had to get off at Metro Center. So did everyone else; I've never seen a crowded train clear out so fast.

And it's not even December yet!

Expect more carols to come once the month officially hits. "Jingle Bells," "Joy to the World," "Do You Hear What I Hear," "Good King Wenceslas" ... there's a whole chorus worth of songs that we may hear on the Metro in the months to come.

Update, 2:22 p.m.: Apparently this caroller is rather famous and has been a fixture during past carolling seasons.

Here are two videos of the man singing during last year's Christmas season: Fascinating. What a festive Metro tradition.