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Collectible and Vintage Christmas Bells
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The tradition of ringing bells at Christmas evolved from an ancient pagan winter rite in which people rang bells or made noise to frighten off the evil spirits who were thought to bring bad fortune and disease. The earliest bells were cup-shaped...
The tradition of ringing bells at Christmas evolved from an ancient pagan winter rite in which people rang bells or made noise to frighten off the evil spirits who were thought to bring bad fortune and disease. The earliest bells were cup-shaped and had to be struck to make a sound. Later, ancient peoples developed bells with an internal clapper.
Besides frightening demons, Sumerian, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians found another utilitarian purpose for small bells. When attached to horses, camels, and mules, they alerted unsuspecting pedestrians a rider was approaching.
The casting of large bells began in Europe around the 4th or 5th century. Bronze bells would be hung in church towers and rang to call villagers to services and big events. Early Christians may have rung bells to alert demons to the birth of Jesus Christ the savior and the joy that brought the righteous. Traditionally, bells were rung on Christmas Eve to announce the start of the holiday service. Church bells were also rung to announce births, marriages, and funerals. On the secular side, they were rung to signal a New Year or warn the village of danger.
In 1510, the first set of carillon bells was introduced by a jester performing outside a Flanders town hall. Founders in the Low Countries continued to develop the carillon bells until they emerged as a full-fledged tuned musical instrument in 1644, the first of which was placed in a Dutch wine tower. These instruments were quickly adopted by churches, who used them for their Christmas celebrations.
Some form of small, round bells called "jingle bells" or "crotal bells" were developed in 13th-century England. These were first made of a flower-shaped piece of sheet-metal bent into a ball containing a solid metal sphere or rod that "jingles" when you shake it. Others were made from two small sheets of metal molded into cup shapes and soldered together.
Soon, knights started attaching crotal bells to their horses. In the 16th and 17th century, gold- and silver-plated bells engraved with coats of arms were presented to knights as awards. In the 18th century, wagon drivers in England and Wales started putting jingle bells on horses pulling their vehicles.
By the 19th century, these horse bells were no longer just practical. In England, they were associated with Christmas festivities including snowy pleasure rides on decorated sleighs pulled by handsome horses wearing polished bells. At this time, jingle bells became known as "sleigh bells." Another big part of the Victorian Christmas season was caroling, and it became trendy for carolers to carry small cup-shaped handbells with them. Eventually, tuned sets of handbells were developed so that carolers, bands, and church musicians could play recognizable songs on the bells without singing.
Around 1810, William Barton launched a company in East Hampton, Connecticut, to produce sleigh bells and handbells in the United States. He generously taught the trade to others so that East Hampton became known as "Belltown" or "Jingletown." It was reported that East Hampton produced about 14,000 bells in 1839, but by 1850, thanks to a new stamping process, the town was churning out nearly 3 million sleigh bells.
Besides Barton, 19th-century East Hampton bell makers included his sons Hiram and Hubbard, his grandson W. E., Bevin Bros. Mfg. Co., Gong Bell Co., East Hampton Bell Co., N. N. Hill Brass Co., Starr Brothers, and Veazey & White.
The new American myth of Santa Claus involved the jolly old man riding a magical sleigh led by flying reindeer that, of course, were adorned with jingle bells. Sleigh bells were such iconic Christmas items by the 1850s, they became central to seasonal poems and songs. In 1857, American songwriter James Lord Pierpont wrote "One Horse Open Sleigh," which is more commonly known as "Jingle Bells" and remains one of the most popular Christmas songs in history.
During the Civil War, American writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem "Christmas Bells" to express his dismay about the war contrasting with carols of "peace on Earth, goodwill to men." His poem was set to music for the 1872 carol, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."
Tuned handbells were first imported to the United States around the turn of the century. The U.K.'s Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which cast the Liberty Bell in 1751, donated bells to Margaret H. Nicholls in 1902. In 1914, Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych and lyricist Peter J. Wilhousky wrote "Carol of the Bells."
In 20th-century America, bells became an important part of Christmas celebrations and décor. Manufacturers made ornamental bells to hang on Christmas trees and bell-shaped Christmas lights. Porcelain companies like Lladro, Napco, and Lefton produced ceramic figural bells shaped like angels, carolers, or other Christmas icons. Jingle bells became pendants for necklaces. Bells were even represented on cards and paper decorations, as well as Christmas brooches.
Christmas songs featuring bells include "Ding Dong! Merrily on High" (1924), "Silver Bells" (1950), "Caroling, Caroling (Christmas Bells Are Ringing)" (1954), and "Jingle Bell Rock" (1957). Bells have taken on a magical quality in Christmas films. In 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life," young Zuzu Bailey tells her father, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." In the 1985 children's book, "The Polar Express"—which was adapted for an animated film in 2004—a bell from Santa's sleigh can only be heard by those who believe in Santa Claus.
Continue readingThe tradition of ringing bells at Christmas evolved from an ancient pagan winter rite in which people rang bells or made noise to frighten off the evil spirits who were thought to bring bad fortune and disease. The earliest bells were cup-shaped and had to be struck to make a sound. Later, ancient peoples developed bells with an internal clapper.
Besides frightening demons, Sumerian, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians found another utilitarian purpose for small bells. When attached to horses, camels, and mules, they alerted unsuspecting pedestrians a rider was approaching.
The casting of large bells began in Europe around the 4th or 5th century. Bronze bells would be hung in church towers and rang to call villagers to services and big events. Early Christians may have rung bells to alert demons to the birth of Jesus Christ the savior and the joy that brought the righteous. Traditionally, bells were rung on Christmas Eve to announce the start of the holiday service. Church bells were also rung to announce births, marriages, and funerals. On the secular side, they were rung to signal a New Year or warn the village of danger.
In 1510, the first set of carillon bells was introduced by a jester performing outside a Flanders town hall. Founders in the Low Countries continued to develop the carillon bells until they emerged as a full-fledged tuned musical instrument in 1644, the first of which was placed in a Dutch wine tower. These instruments were quickly adopted by churches, who used them for their Christmas celebrations.
Some form of small, round bells called "jingle bells" or "crotal bells" were developed in 13th-century England. These were first made of a flower-shaped piece of sheet-metal bent into a ball containing a solid metal sphere or rod that "jingles" when you shake it. Others were made from two small sheets of metal molded into cup shapes and soldered together.
Soon, knights started attaching crotal bells to their horses. In the 16th...
The tradition of ringing bells at Christmas evolved from an ancient pagan winter rite in which people rang bells or made noise to frighten off the evil spirits who were thought to bring bad fortune and disease. The earliest bells were cup-shaped and had to be struck to make a sound. Later, ancient peoples developed bells with an internal clapper.
Besides frightening demons, Sumerian, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians found another utilitarian purpose for small bells. When attached to horses, camels, and mules, they alerted unsuspecting pedestrians a rider was approaching.
The casting of large bells began in Europe around the 4th or 5th century. Bronze bells would be hung in church towers and rang to call villagers to services and big events. Early Christians may have rung bells to alert demons to the birth of Jesus Christ the savior and the joy that brought the righteous. Traditionally, bells were rung on Christmas Eve to announce the start of the holiday service. Church bells were also rung to announce births, marriages, and funerals. On the secular side, they were rung to signal a New Year or warn the village of danger.
In 1510, the first set of carillon bells was introduced by a jester performing outside a Flanders town hall. Founders in the Low Countries continued to develop the carillon bells until they emerged as a full-fledged tuned musical instrument in 1644, the first of which was placed in a Dutch wine tower. These instruments were quickly adopted by churches, who used them for their Christmas celebrations.
Some form of small, round bells called "jingle bells" or "crotal bells" were developed in 13th-century England. These were first made of a flower-shaped piece of sheet-metal bent into a ball containing a solid metal sphere or rod that "jingles" when you shake it. Others were made from two small sheets of metal molded into cup shapes and soldered together.
Soon, knights started attaching crotal bells to their horses. In the 16th and 17th century, gold- and silver-plated bells engraved with coats of arms were presented to knights as awards. In the 18th century, wagon drivers in England and Wales started putting jingle bells on horses pulling their vehicles.
By the 19th century, these horse bells were no longer just practical. In England, they were associated with Christmas festivities including snowy pleasure rides on decorated sleighs pulled by handsome horses wearing polished bells. At this time, jingle bells became known as "sleigh bells." Another big part of the Victorian Christmas season was caroling, and it became trendy for carolers to carry small cup-shaped handbells with them. Eventually, tuned sets of handbells were developed so that carolers, bands, and church musicians could play recognizable songs on the bells without singing.
Around 1810, William Barton launched a company in East Hampton, Connecticut, to produce sleigh bells and handbells in the United States. He generously taught the trade to others so that East Hampton became known as "Belltown" or "Jingletown." It was reported that East Hampton produced about 14,000 bells in 1839, but by 1850, thanks to a new stamping process, the town was churning out nearly 3 million sleigh bells.
Besides Barton, 19th-century East Hampton bell makers included his sons Hiram and Hubbard, his grandson W. E., Bevin Bros. Mfg. Co., Gong Bell Co., East Hampton Bell Co., N. N. Hill Brass Co., Starr Brothers, and Veazey & White.
The new American myth of Santa Claus involved the jolly old man riding a magical sleigh led by flying reindeer that, of course, were adorned with jingle bells. Sleigh bells were such iconic Christmas items by the 1850s, they became central to seasonal poems and songs. In 1857, American songwriter James Lord Pierpont wrote "One Horse Open Sleigh," which is more commonly known as "Jingle Bells" and remains one of the most popular Christmas songs in history.
During the Civil War, American writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem "Christmas Bells" to express his dismay about the war contrasting with carols of "peace on Earth, goodwill to men." His poem was set to music for the 1872 carol, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."
Tuned handbells were first imported to the United States around the turn of the century. The U.K.'s Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which cast the Liberty Bell in 1751, donated bells to Margaret H. Nicholls in 1902. In 1914, Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych and lyricist Peter J. Wilhousky wrote "Carol of the Bells."
In 20th-century America, bells became an important part of Christmas celebrations and décor. Manufacturers made ornamental bells to hang on Christmas trees and bell-shaped Christmas lights. Porcelain companies like Lladro, Napco, and Lefton produced ceramic figural bells shaped like angels, carolers, or other Christmas icons. Jingle bells became pendants for necklaces. Bells were even represented on cards and paper decorations, as well as Christmas brooches.
Christmas songs featuring bells include "Ding Dong! Merrily on High" (1924), "Silver Bells" (1950), "Caroling, Caroling (Christmas Bells Are Ringing)" (1954), and "Jingle Bell Rock" (1957). Bells have taken on a magical quality in Christmas films. In 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life," young Zuzu Bailey tells her father, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." In the 1985 children's book, "The Polar Express"—which was adapted for an animated film in 2004—a bell from Santa's sleigh can only be heard by those who believe in Santa Claus.
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