Jingle Bells is not just one of the most famous musical compositions in the world. Every December it sounds literally everywhere and subconsciously associated with Christmas and New Year's holidays. We checked whether the author of the song suggested such a connection.

During its existence, Jingle Bells has become the same inalienable attribute of Christmas in America, like a Christmas tree decorated with toys, branches from branches, red and white mint sticks and gifts. Over time, the song penetrated into other countries, acquiring a truly cult status. Hundreds of artists at their December concerts performed Jingle Bell's cover versions, including Great tenors Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo. In 1965, Jingle Bells was the first song to perform Broadcast From space.

There is still no confidence in where and when the song Jingle Bells appeared. It is believed that the composition was created by American James Pirpont in the middle of the XIX century, which received On her copyright in 1857, when he lived in the state of Georgia. In the document, the song is called on the first line - The One Horse Open Sleigh, that is, "Sani drawn by one horse." In Georgia, the author lived at work, and in his homeland in the town of Medford, Massachusetts, the version is different: supposedly Jingle Bells appeared In the local tavern back in 1850.

In disputes about which city has become the birthplace of Jingle Bells, local authorities put forward different versions, but not one of them is connected with Christmas. The text of the song does not mention the holiday itself, its traditional attributes and rituals and rituals associated with Christmas or New Year. In Massachusetts They thinkthat the song is dedicated to skating on a sleigh, which was a popular city fun at the beginning of the 19th century. In Georgia Confidentthat Jingle Bells was the result of nostalgia for the snow winter in New England, which was not a frequent occurrence in the south of the United States.

According to a fairly popular version, Pirpont wrote a song for thanks to a Sunday school, and the composition was so liked that the children were asked to fulfill it again for Christmas - allegedly there was a connection with the holiday. I believe in this hypothesis with difficulty: the third and fourth forgotten now forgotten Films They talk about a secluded trip of a young man and a girl on a sleigh. It is unlikely that such a text could be performed in a religious institution. Kina Hamill from Boston University He thinksthat Pirpont composed the song exclusively out of commercial interest, and the topic of the trip on the sleigh far from extra eyes was enough Popular In the middle of the XIX century. “In this song, everything is done as a carbon copy from other songs, there is nothing original in it. He [Pirpont] just earned money, ”the researcher is sure. At the same time, Hamill disputes Versions presented by local authorities in Georgia and Massachusetts.

How, in this case, Jingle Bells was related to Christmas? In 1898, the song was recorded in the performance of the men's quartet Edison. By versions Hamill, it was after this that the composition began to be universally associated with winter holidays. The song was most famous in the 1930s and 1940s performed by orchestras under the leadership of Benny Gudman, Bing Crosby and, of course, Glenna Miller-this version of 1941 we often hear in the streets and stores, when every December we go for gifts for the holidays.