J is For... (Christmas Day 10)

JINGLE BELLS

• This song was originally written for the American Thanksgiving by James Lord Peirpont under the name 'One Horse Open Sleigh' in the autumn of 1857. 
•  "Jingle Bells" was the first song broadcast from space, in a Christmas-themed prank by Gemini 6 astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra. While in space on December 16, 1965, they sent this report to Mission Control:

Gemini VII, this is Gemini VI. We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, up in a polar orbit. He's in a very low trajectory traveling from north to south and has a very high climbing ratio. It looks like it might even be a ... Very low. Looks like he might be going to reenter soon. Stand by one ... You might just let me try to pick up that thing.

   The astronauts then produced a smuggled harmonica and sleigh bells and broadcast a rendition of "Jingle         Bells." The harmonica, shown to the press upon their return, was a Hohner "Little Lady," a tiny harmonica     approximately one inch long, by 3/8 of an inch wide. 

• In the winter in New England in pre-automobile days, it was common to adorn horses' harnesses with straps bearing bells as a way to avoid collisions at blind intersections, since a horse-drawn sleigh in snow makes almost no noise. The rhythm of the tune mimics that of a trotting horse's bells. However, "jingle bells" is commonly taken to mean a certain kind of bell.

(Copied from Wikipedia) 

Thanks for reading! I'll hope to post on time tomorrow!!