LYNN – Santa hats may be optional for carolers with the Lynn Public High Schools band, but the holiday spirit is something they all carry around this time of year.The 25 or so members of the citywide band spend much of their free time in December sharing their musical talent and Christmas cheer with people throughout the North Shore.It’s an annual fundraiser that goes toward scholarships for graduating seniors. But the students say what they really love about caroling is spreading their overflowing holiday cheer.”It makes you feel good inside. It gets you in the Christmas spirit,” said Sebastian Garcia, who plays the saxophone.On Saturday evening, dreams of their recent meal at McDonald’s dancing over their heads, the students hauled their instruments to St. Mary’s Plaza senior housing apartments in Lynn. It was to be their third performance of the day – and not the last.But they weren’t sick of holiday songs, said Evangeline Theodorakakos, who said that on the car ride over, the energetic group sang Mariah Carey’s iconic version of “All I Want for Christmas is You” – a song not included in their caroling line up.”We look forward to this even months before caroling season,” Theodorakakos said.”We love caroling.”When it was time to sing for an audience, the carolers and some of their parents crowded into a small lobby at the senior housing apartment, filling every nook and cranny available and trying not to knock passers-by with their trombones, tubas, trumpets, drums and wood wind instruments.They played a lively 30-minute show to a modest audience, who hummed along to songs like “Deck the Halls” and “Jingle Bells.” After the show, the students snacked on well-deserved cookies and eggnog provided by St. Mary’s Plaza before they headed to their next stop.Darlington Perez said the show never gets boring.”I love the music that we play,” he said. “I’m a Christmas guy.”Like many of his fellow carolers, he said the best part of his night is seeing smiles appear on the faces of people they play for.”It rushes me to see I’m actually doing something that I want to do and it makes people feel so happy,” he said.Amber Parcher can be reached at [email protected].