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Some say that July is too early to be humming Jingle Bells and daydreaming about snowflakes swirling through a starlit sky. But if a bit of holiday magic helps you survive the summer heat, let's bring on the sleigh bells!
https://americanheritageusa.com/new-designs-and-images/jingle-bells-sheet-music-open-sleigh-ride/
One of the most iconic winter songs of the 19th century is Jingle Bells. Initially published in 1857 under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh," it was written by James Lord Pierpont and quickly found its way into the hearts of Americans. Interestingly, the song makes no mention of Christmas, yet it became a beloved holiday staple after a lively debut at a Thanksgiving service and an encore performance later that December. With its infectious rhythm and vivid imagery, it perfectly captured the merriment of a sleighing party, a popular winter pastime in the snowy towns of the North.
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O’er the hills we go,
Laughing all the way...
In the 19th-century frontier, sleighing songs like "Jingle Bells" and "Over the River and Through the Wood" brought a touch of joy to long winter nights. Their lively rhythms echoed the steady trot of a sleigh horse, while the lyrics painted scenes of snow-covered fields, jingling harness bells, and sweethearts bundled beneath warm blankets. These songs weren’t always about Christmas, but they carried the spirit of simple pleasures, shared laughter, and the quiet hope of love blooming beneath the frost. For settlers facing harsh winters and isolation, a sleighing song was more than music, it was a reminder that joy could still ring out across the snow.
While Jingle Bells remains a seasonal staple today, it was just one of many carols that would have echoed through 19th-century homes, churches, and snowy street corners during the holiday season. Other favorites from that era include:
🎵 "The Bells" (1865) by William Shakespeare Hays
A sentimental sleighing ballad that was printed in several 19th-century songbooks.
Reflects more on the romance and soft jingle of sleigh bells.
🎵 "Over the River and Through the Wood" (1844) by Lydia Maria Child
Though often thought of as a Thanksgiving song, it's unmistakably a sleighing song:
“Over the river and through the wood, to grandfather’s house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh, through the white and drifted snow.”
As a native of Georgia, snow is more of a dream than a reality. However, that doesn't stop me from envisioning drifting snowflakes, the sound of jingling sleigh bells, and a cozy sleigh ride as the perfect romantic setting. My heroine in "A Sleigh Ride for Georgia" feels just as enchanted by this idea. When the man she has been writing to promises her a sleigh ride, she doesn’t picture hauling firewood; instead, she imagines moonlight, mittens, and the kind of magical evening one might find in poetry or hidden within the verses of a Christmas carol.
Free on Kindle Unlimited
https://americanheritageusa.com/new-designs-and-images/jingle-bells-sheet-music-open-sleigh-ride/
One of the most iconic winter songs of the 19th century is Jingle Bells. Initially published in 1857 under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh," it was written by James Lord Pierpont and quickly found its way into the hearts of Americans. Interestingly, the song makes no mention of Christmas, yet it became a beloved holiday staple after a lively debut at a Thanksgiving service and an encore performance later that December. With its infectious rhythm and vivid imagery, it perfectly captured the merriment of a sleighing party, a popular winter pastime in the snowy towns of the North.
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O’er the hills we go,
Laughing all the way...
In the 19th-century frontier, sleighing songs like "Jingle Bells" and "Over the River and Through the Wood" brought a touch of joy to long winter nights. Their lively rhythms echoed the steady trot of a sleigh horse, while the lyrics painted scenes of snow-covered fields, jingling harness bells, and sweethearts bundled beneath warm blankets. These songs weren’t always about Christmas, but they carried the spirit of simple pleasures, shared laughter, and the quiet hope of love blooming beneath the frost. For settlers facing harsh winters and isolation, a sleighing song was more than music, it was a reminder that joy could still ring out across the snow.
While Jingle Bells remains a seasonal staple today, it was just one of many carols that would have echoed through 19th-century homes, churches, and snowy street corners during the holiday season. Other favorites from that era include:
🎵 "The Bells" (1865) by William Shakespeare Hays
A sentimental sleighing ballad that was printed in several 19th-century songbooks.
Reflects more on the romance and soft jingle of sleigh bells.
🎵 "Over the River and Through the Wood" (1844) by Lydia Maria Child
Though often thought of as a Thanksgiving song, it's unmistakably a sleighing song:
“Over the river and through the wood, to grandfather’s house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh, through the white and drifted snow.”
As a native of Georgia, snow is more of a dream than a reality. However, that doesn't stop me from envisioning drifting snowflakes, the sound of jingling sleigh bells, and a cozy sleigh ride as the perfect romantic setting. My heroine in "A Sleigh Ride for Georgia" feels just as enchanted by this idea. When the man she has been writing to promises her a sleigh ride, she doesn’t picture hauling firewood; instead, she imagines moonlight, mittens, and the kind of magical evening one might find in poetry or hidden within the verses of a Christmas carol.
Free on Kindle Unlimited
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D32LX394
For Georgia, hearing or imagining these familiar carols while curled beside a glowing fire, wrapped in quilts, would bring comfort in the uncertainty of starting over. But life on the frontier rarely follows the script of a romantic ballad. Nor is it wrapped in red ribbon and topped with a bow. Reality, as Georgia soon learns, is often more practical than poetic, especially when it comes to her intended groom.
Still, even the most no-nonsense hero might find himself softening under the influence of carols, candlelight, and the gentle snow that whispers of second chances and unexpected joy.
So this July, while the sun sizzles and ice melts faster than you can sip your lemonade, transport yourself to a simpler time. Let the melodies of a sleighing song fill your mind. Close your eyes and picture snow-covered fields, woolen mittens, and the rhythmic jingle of sleigh bells echoing across a frozen night.
Because, despite the summer heat, visions of romantic sleigh rides and songs of pioneer hearts remind us that holiday magic never goes out of season.
Connect With Kimberly:
"I believe you should come away refreshed and inspired after reading a book, an outlet, and an opportunity to relax and escape to a place where obstacles are met and overcome."
Fans of historical romance set in the late 19th century will enjoy stories combining, History, Humor, and Romance with an emphasis on Faith, Friends, and Good Clean Fun,
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Links:
Website: https://kimberlygrist.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/FaithFunandFriends/
Sign up for my newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/a920c145512a/kimberlygrist
Amazon: Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Grist/e/B07H2NTJ71
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kimberly-grist
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