They first stated that they saw an unidentified humanoid in a red suit and followed that with a rendition of Jingle Bells on a smuggled harmonica. This became the first such instance where a song was broadcast from outer space. Thomas Stafford and Wally Schirra, an astronaut couple on Gemini 6 orbiting Earth in 1965, pulled a prank on mission control by playing Jingle Bells in space. Medford in Massachusetts was extremely well known in the 19 th century for its sleigh races and strongly claims itself as the tune’s birthplace.Īfter the original composition in 1857, the name was evidently changed from One Horse Open Sleigh to Jingle Bells in 1859. "Go it while you’re young, Take the girls tonight" is an example of the lines that caused the uproar.Īs an American classic that eventually spread all over the world, Jingle Bells has attracted debates from historians regarding the place of its origin, mainly between Georgia and Massachusetts. The strongest speculations suggest that this is due to it being considered as too progressive for that time. Records have shown that there are some differences present between the original The One Horse Open Sleigh and the modern Jingle Bells. It is admissible that most of us hummed or sang Jingle Bells in our childhood days. Considering movies, “Home Alone”, the children’s classic is a fine example that narrates a young boy’s unwitting adventures, along with “A Christmas Story”, both have their own renditions of the song, that is still well remembered by those who grew up in the 80s and 90s. Over the centuries, this song has been adapted in many art forms and media. Extremely well-acclaimed, the song was also sung on Christmas that year and soon became an American staple for the holidays. Pierpont was from New England and a devoted organist, whose original intention behind penning the piece was for Thanksgiving, at a church program in Savannah, Georgia. James Lord Pierpont composed One Horse Open Sleigh in 1857, which we popularly recognize as Jingle Bells today. Jingle Bells: The Ever-Beautiful Christmas Carol