The holiday season is not complete without hearing the familiar tune of “Jingle Bells” on the radio, in the malls, or in the car. But did you know that this song has a rich and complex history that spans continents and centuries? Here are some surprising facts about the beloved melody that you may not have heard before.
– The song was composed by James Lord Pierpont, born in 1822. Pierpont was not just a songwriter, but also an adventurer. At the youthful age of 14, he fled from boarding school, enlisted in the crew of a whaling ship, and experienced almost a decade at sea. In 1849, when the California Gold Rush unfolded, Pierpont left his wife and children in Massachusetts as he pursued wealth in the western regions.
– Juliet, the elder sister of Pierpont, wedded the wealthy Junius Spencer Morgan. Their firstborn, John Pierpont Morgan, pursued his father’s footsteps in the banking industry and emerged as one of the influential financiers during the Gilded Age. This connection to the Morgan family is a fascinating footnote in the history of “Jingle Bells.”
– Some historical accounts report that the song was first performed at a Thanksgiving church service and was never intended to be a Christmas staple. If you listen carefully to the lyrics, you will notice there is actually no mention of Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any holiday, for that matter.
– Upon its initial printing by a Boston music publishing house in 1857, the festive melody was introduced under the name “One Horse Open Sleigh.” However, when it was re-released two years later, the song adopted the more widely recognized title of “Jingle Bells.”
– There are two historical plaques in two cities, each claiming to be the birthplace of Pierpont’s “Jingle Bells.” A historical marker in the Boston suburb of Medford, Massachusetts, asserts that Pierpont composed his renowned melody while sipping a drink at the Simpson Tavern in 1850, a year after his father assumed control of a nearby Unitarian church. The accuracy of the date, if not the location, for the song’s creation seems doubtful, as Pierpont likely wouldn’t have waited seven years to publish it. Research by Boston University faculty member Kyna Hamill indicates that he was still in California chasing gold during that period. In 1985, Savannah installed its own historical marker across from the Unitarian church where Pierpont served as the music director at the time of the song’s publication, possibly shortly after its composition in the city. What remains undisputed is that Pierpont drew inspiration from snowy memories of sleigh rides and races in Massachusetts, not Georgia, while crafting the song.
– “Jingle Bells” has a unique place in space history as well. On the ninth day before Christmas in 1965, the two astronauts aboard Gemini 6 had just completed a rendezvous with Gemini 7 when they delivered a concerning report to Mission Control: “We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, up in a polar orbit. He’s in a very low trajectory traveling from north to south and has a very high climbing ratio. It looks like it might even be a … Very low. Looks like he might be going to reenter soon. Stand by one … You might just let me try to pick up that thing.” The tense report of the unidentified flying object was suddenly interrupted by the cheerful sound of “Jingle Bells”, with “Wally” Schirra playing a tiny harmonica accompanied by Tom Stafford shaking a handful of small sleigh bells they had brought along for the space voyage.
Despite its complex history and the controversies surrounding it, “Jingle Bells” remains a staple of the holiday season, its cheerful melody and timeless lyrics bringing joy to millions around the world each year.
Relevant articles:
– 8 Things You May Not Know About ‘Jingle Bells’ | HISTORY
– Jingle Bells – the surprising facts | CNN
– ‘Jingle Bells’ rooted in racism, Boston University professor says