Songs—some of them, at least—are durable things. Children have been dancing in a circle singing “Ring Around the Rosie” for centuries now. And while it is surpassingly unlikely that any of us have traveled this winter to our grandmother’s house in a one-horse open sleigh, chances are you’ve hummed “Jingle Bells” at least once.
Yes, we know, it’s important to keep the Christ in Christmas, remember the reason for the season, and so forth, none of which “Jingle Bells” helps with in the slightest. But here it is, merrily weaving its way through our holiday, a cultural good that’s probably here to stay. So while you’re wrapping and unwrapping, feasting and napping, share your thoughts with us. What does “Jingle Bells” make of the world?
Jingle Bells assume a culture that is rural and has snow falls. It assume nostalgic people even when the images are from actual experiences.
—Deets JohnsonJingle Bells assumes a common country past, of horses and sleighs. It assumes the North and somehow segues us all into “Over the River and Through the Woods.”
—Brian Howell Add your own comment . . .The world seems Oh so peaceful. It assumes that Jack Frost’s nipping is pleasant, not the misery that I experience.
—Deets JohnsonIt helps make the northern, snowy Christmas the norm.
—Brian Howell Add your own comment . . .I think the song makes it possible for a wide variety of people with different experiences to sing in a nostalgic way together.
—Deets JohnsonIt does have the potential to bring people to a common experience of an imagined past, although I wonder how immigrants, or ethnic minorities in the country relate to the song.
—Brian Howell — Add your own comment . . .For me, listening to the radio between November 2 and December 25 is much more difficult because of this song and the constant play of it and a handful of others.
—Deets JohnsonIt makes the palm tree with Christmas lights look weird. It becomes hard to imagine, or at least satirical, the warm-weather Christmas; Santa on the beach and all that.
—Brian HowellA bunch of extremely loud elementary-school kids, singing this endlessly on the bus several years ago, made it impossible for me to concentrate on reading a book on the bus.
—Timothy Crouch Add your own comment . . .A culture in which we can all share a “holiday season” without being specifically religious. I always hear the secular Jew Barbra Streisand singing this. “Up sot?” It helps to create that time of year when we share good wishes without reference to our religious differences.
—Tim Etherington Add your own comment . . .