The History of Christmas Bells
Bells have been around since ancient times, but for those in the Western world, they currently play their biggest role at Christmas. Ringing bells to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ fits beautifully into all the joyful images you can imagine of Christmas. So how did Christmas bells become such a big part of the holiday season? Does this Spark an idea?
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Pagan Times
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During pagan times (pre-Christian), bells were often rung in the fall and winter to ward off evil spirits during the long, dark nights. As bells were relatively inexpensive, many people could afford to own them.
Early Christianity to Today
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Early on, church bells were rung to announce big things: danger, celebrations, births, deaths, etc. However, over time, they came to be a sign of celebration rather than danger, tying in nicely with Christmas. In addition, when people walked around their villages singing carols, they often rang bells because they were light and easy to carry. Those bells have evolved into the hand bells we currently see in many churches.
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Contemporary Christmas Season
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Today, bells are found throughout the Christmas season. Wrapping paper and wreaths often have bells on them. In addition, it's nearly impossible to walk into a large department store without passing a bell ringer happily jingling away while collecting donations for the poor.
Holiday Songs About Bells
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As bells are all about a joyful time, it's no wonder that several Christmas carols spotlight them: "Jingle Bells," "Silver Bells," "Sleigh Bells" and "Carol of the Bells" are some of the most popular.
Santa and Bells
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While you might think that Rudolph is the only thing guiding Santa, the bells on all of his reindeer likely help him find his sleigh on dark, snowy roofs.
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