All About "Jingle Bells"

The Christmas song of ALL Christmas songs was never intended to be for the Yuletide season. Jingle Bells, written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont, a church organist and minister of music, came about when he was inspired by the annual one-horse open sleigh races in Medford, Massachusetts; thus the words, "Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!" were born.

For safety reasons, the sleighs back during that time in history were pulled by horses wearing straps of bells. Without some type of noise-maker, the horse-drawn sleighs would travel across the snow-covered land so quietly that, when they reached blind intersections, collisions were a likely possibility if another sleigh happened to reach the intersection at the same time. The bells sounded loudly enough so that head-on crashes could safely be avoided.

I’m sure this is why Santa had bells strapped to HIS reindeer, which, in my opinion, is part of the reason this favorite tune began making its way into the Christmas song repertoire by vocal choirs years after it was written. The sound of jingle bells is one of the most beloved sounds of the season and lets us know that Santa is in the vicinity!

This Christmas classic was first copyrighted under the name "One Horse Open Sleigh" on September 16, 1857 while Pierpont was living in Savannah, Georgia. It was reprinted in 1859 with the revised title of "Jingle Bells, or The One Horse Open Sleigh." Over the passing of time, it has come to be known simply as Jingle Bells. The song is now in public domain since it is over 150 years old.

Jingle Bells also has another claim to fame - it was the first song to be played in outer space! Astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford played the melody while they were aboard Gemini 6 on December 16, 1965. Their intent was to have some fun with Mission Control. They said they had seen a UFO and that the pilot was wearing a red suit. They then proceeded to play Jingle Bells!

They played it on an authentic Hohner’s Little Lady model harmonica and also used real sleigh bells in the background. Since these are considered to be the first musical instruments played in space, they are now on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Because Jingle Bells became one the most recognizable and performed secular songs ever written, James Lord Pierpont was eventually voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. It is also one of the 25 Most Recorded songs in history! James Lord Pierpont had no idea what a jewel he had composed. It has stood the test of time and is still just as popular today as it has ever been.

Nothing says “Merry Christmas!” like Jingle Bells!

#Music #Christmas