Christmas carols have been around for a long time, but do you know the history behind them? Here are 5 facts you may not have known about some of your favorite Christmas carols.
Winter Wonderland was written by Richard Smith in 1934. Smith was being treated for tuberculosis at the West Mountain Sanitarium in Pennsylvania at the time. The first recording was also made in 1934 by Richard Himber and his Hotel Ritz-Carlton Orchestra.
The Australians have their very own version of 12 Day of Christmas which includes 11 numbats nagging, 9 wombats working, 5 kangaroos, and an emu up a gum tree. The original 12 Days of Christmas was written in England in 1780. The tune that we associate with it today was arranged in 1909.
Silver Bells was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans in 1950 in reference to the Salvation Army. The original words were actually "tinkle bells." The word "tinkle" was changed to "silver" after they realized that "tinkle" also meant to... well, you know.
The lyrics to this song were written by Yoko Ono and John Lennon, but the actual music was taken from an Irish folksong about a racehorse named Skewball. The song was originally released on Yoko Ono's "Listen, The Snow Is Falling" vinyl as the B-side.
Jingle Bells wasn't originally a Christmas carol. It was first called One Horse Open Sleigh and is thought to have been written for Thanksgiving or the winter season. The author, James Pierpont, was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1970.
Share these bits of Christmas carol trivia at holiday parties and you'll impress friends with your knowledge.
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