Did you know that ‘Jingle Bells’ wasn't the original name of the song?
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| Jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way |
Singing ‘
Jingle Bells’. The most popular Christmas song in
America,
Jingle Bells has not always been associated with Christmas and its origins remain a controversial mystery to this day. But do you know that this Yuletide melody is more mysterious than you think? There are many things about this Christmas song that people might not know. Here is your chance to learns some surprising facts about one of the most popular holiday songs.
1. JP Morgan’s uncle wrote ‘Jingle Bells’
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| Lord Pierpont |
Songwriter Lord Pierpont who wrote Jingle Bells is the uncle of the famous American financier and banker JP Morgan. His sister married millionaire Junius Spencer Morgan and their oldest child JP Morgan followed the league of his father into the banking business.
2. Pierpont the composer of ‘Jingle Bells’ wasn’t a family man!
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| Merry Christmas |
At the age of 14, composer Pierpont ran away from his boarding school and joined the crew of a whaling ship and spent the next 10 years at sea. In 1849, he left his wife and children behind in Massachusetts while chasing money in the West. In 1853, he departed from his family again. After the death of his first wife in 1856, he married the daughter of Savannah’s mayor and left his children from previous marriage behind.
3. ‘Jingle Bells’ was not the original name of the song
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| One Horse Open Sleigh |
The song was released under the title ‘One Horse Open Sleigh’ when it was printed by a music publishing house in 1857. When it was reissued two years later, it was renamed to Jingle Bells.
4. Two cities claim that the song belongs to them
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| Two cities claim the Jingle Bells song. |
Massachusetts claims that Pierpont wrote this song in the city in 1850. But Boston University faculty member Kyna Hamill claim that he was still in California when he wrote the song.
5. ‘Jingle Bells’ was not intended to be a Christmas song.
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| Happy Thanksgiving |
There is no mention of Christmas or any other holiday in the Jingle Bells song. According to historical accounts, the song was first performed for a Thanksgiving service at the church of either Pierpont’s father or brother. Given the composer’s rebellious nature, the song Jingle Bells has a bit of rebel-without-a-cause attitude. The lesser-known verses of the song describe picking up girls, drag-racing on snow and high-speed crash. All these things are hardly about a holy night.
6. ‘Jingle Bells’ was the first song ever broadcast from space
It is not unusual for astronauts who find themselves in space around December 25 to display a little holiday spirit. Gemini VI astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra were no exception. Nine days before Christmas in 1965, Gemini 6 two astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra played it in in a Christmas-themed prank. Since then "Jingle Bells" became the first song ever broadcast from space.
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