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People are only just discovering Jingle Bells has nothing to do with Christmas

The familiar melody of Jingle Bells is a staple during the festive season. This catchy tune is a holiday favourite for many but, surprisingly, it was never intended to be a Christmas song. A TikTok ...
Snopes.com

Was 'Jingle Bells' Written as a Christmas Song?

Perhaps no single piece of secular music is more ubiquitous during the Christmas holiday season than "Jingle Bells," the venerable ditty about the joys of dashing through snow-covered fields while ...
Snopes.com

'Jingle Bells' Wasn't Written as a Christmas Song. Here's the Real History

It's true that "Jingle Bells" songwriter James Pierpont did not have Christmas in mind when he penned the tune — which does not mention the holiday in its lyrics — in the 1850s. However, widespread ...
NPR

The real origin of the holiday classic 'Jingle Bells'

GWEN STEFANI: (Singing) Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride... INSKEEP: Gwen Stefani belts it out there. Now, I called it a Christmas song, and that's really the ...
Post and Courier

Jingle Bells, The Song That Started A Feud

It’s annually voted the most popular Christmas song. Perhaps it’s the most controversial. When Savannah resident James L. Pierpont composed the song he sowed the seeds for a dispute. Pierpont wrote ...
WGN-TV

New York schools drop ‘Jingle Bells’ song over historical blackface roots

BRIGHTON, N.Y. (WROC) — The Brighton Central School District, located just outside Rochester, New York, is addressing the use, or lack thereof, of the holiday classic song “Jingle Bells” in its ...
New York Post

Backlash after school banned ‘Jingle Bells’ over Christmas

The school replaced the tune with others that don't have "the potential to be controversial or offensive." Getty Images/iStockphoto Some upstate New York residents are riled up after there were no ...
CNN

What you probably didn’t know about ‘Jingle Bells’

Christmas is just around the corner. This year, instead of jumping into endless political conversations at the dinner table, try throwing some Christmas knowledge at your family. The surprising ...
NPR

The 'Jingle Bells' Song Has Roots In Minstrelsy

The Christmas staple "Jingle Bells," has been the subject of many arguments about its provenance. Researcher Kyna Hamill, who did some more digging, talks with NPR's Ailsa Chang. FRANK SINATRA: ...
The Atlantic

‘Jingle Bells’: A Racy Drinking Song (for Thanksgiving)

Welcome to The 12 Days of Christmas Songs: an attempt to uncover the forgotten history of some of the most memorable festive tunes. From December 14 through 25, we’ll be tackling one secular song and ...
Boston Magazine

Not Great: NH Students Sang Song about the KKK to the Tune of “Jingle Bells”

New Hampshire school officials are investigating and a teacher has been suspended after video surfaced of what is sure to be the most disturbing rendition of a Christmas song you will hear this ...