![]() Next time you hear the church bells ringing out on Christmas Eve, think back to hundreds of years ago when Pagan’s would use their noisemakers at night in the wintertime to protect their families from evil. The tradition of Christmas bells is used differently around the world and in different religions.īut one thing is always the same – bells bring people together and symbolize the start of the celebration. We hope you have enjoyed learning all about the history of Christmas bells, and how they became such an important part of our festive celebrations.įrom warding away evil spirits to the jingle bells on Santa’s boots, these jolly instruments have come a long way. In the modern version, we only sing the first verse and chorus – this may be because the other verses are about the sleigh driving fast and crashing!įinal Thoughts on The History of Christmas Bells & Bell Ringing The snowy and festive lyrics meant the song quickly became associated with Christmas, and by the 1860s many choirs would sing it during Christmastime. ![]() When it was published in 1857 as a song for Thanksgiving in the USA, it was titled “One Horse Open Sleigh”. Jingle Bells might just be the most well-known Christmas song.īut, did you know that the jolly tune was originally a Thanksgiving song? The infamous Christmas Eve bells announce the beginning of this service. On Christmas Eve, the first service after sunset is still observed as the first official Christmas Day service. Of course, they’re also used in music, but their more common use is to be loud and proud.Ĭhurches use bells as a call to worship, and in Anglican and Catholic Churches, the Christian day started at sunset. Why Do We Ring Christmas Bells on Christmas Eve?Īll year round bells are used to start an announcement and essentially to get people’s attention. This is perfect for carolers heading door to door, and for church choirs who maybe don’t have huge budgets. In fact, it more likely comes down to affordability and practicality.īells are jolly, but they’re also lightweight, cheap, and easy to carry around. This started the tradition of ringing bells to mark the start of a church service – which is still used today.ĭespite bells being used to symbolize a church service all year round, the bell-ringing around Christmas time is what the church is known for.Īre you a fan of Christmas trivia? Find out Which Country Banned Christmas In 1644!įrom Santa’s clothes, to wreaths and tree decorations, and in the hands of choirs and carol-singers, bells are everywhere!īut aside from the history of Christmas bells, there’s no real symbolism behind why we use bells instead of any other instrument. Saint Patrick shared his teaching across Ireland and used bells to mark the beginning of his lessons and the beginning of Mass. They would announce the start of ceremonies, an important person’s arrival, or the death or wedding of people. The dark motive behind ringing bells in winter was quickly forgotten, and people began ringing bells for the fun of it.Įventually, the festive bell-ringing was introduced into celebrations and announcements – such as the beginning of a church service.īells are and have always been used as a form of communication.īefore the internet or any form of modern communication, bells made it easy to quickly inform towns and villages of news without needing a town crier. Noisemakers were originally used to scare away evil spirits at the night, and some of these noisemakers were bells. Why Do We Ring Christmas Bells on Christmas Eve?Īlthough difficult to know for sure, the first use of bells in wintertime may have been Pagan winter celebrations.In this article from Open For Christmas, we break down the interesting history of these instantly recognizable musical instruments. It wasn’t long after that bells came to symbolize celebration and holidays, and this tradition has been with us ever since. The tradition of Christmas bells has evolved hugely since then, and it’s now a sign of celebration and coming together.Īlthough how we use and perceive bells may have changed over time, some things have stayed the same.īell-ringing has always been a part of winter since ancient times began. It’s thought that bell-ringing in Winter stems from the Pagan tradition of scaring away evil spirits with noisemakers. ![]() ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘Silver Bells’, and ‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’ – we all happily sing along to these popular carols each year.īut do you ever think about the history of Christmas bells, and how they became such a key part of our festive celebrations? The Interesting Tradition of Christmas Bells & Bell RingingĬhristmas bells are everywhere in our towns, holiday songs, and favorite movies.
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